Temptation Waits
by Nik216
Summary: Claire McSheehy never wanted for anything, she lived the life of a little princess until the day it was all taken away. After fleeing Boston she finds herself in London looking for a fresh start. Instead she finds Freddie Jackson, and a new life she never expected. Based on the BBC's 2009 TV version of "The Take". Freddie/OC. Rated M for angst, lemons, language and, well, Freddie.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: *Sigh* Well it seems like I can't keep Le Muse under control after all. Some time ago a Guest reviewer asked me to do a story based on the BBC's 2009 TV version of "The Take" staring a guy you all know I have an unhealthy obsession with. And that got the Muse started.**

**I have been mulling over this for a long time, because quite frankly it scares the crap out of me to even approach a character like Freddie Jackson. But I can't deny the incredible performance Tom did, and quite frankly it's like a huge chocolate cake unattended in the corner of the room, you don't want to touch it, but you know if no one was looking and judging you, you'd be all over it.**

**So, with that in mind I will tell you in an introduction very, very similar to "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events", that this is not a happy story. This is not a story about Freddie realizing the error of his ways and settling down with a 9-5, a white picket fence our OFC and a dog. The major canon events will still exist, I have just woven our tale into part of the body of the story. **

**It's a tale about an incredibly damaged and insanely complex person and someone who gets tangled up with him. If you want a fluffy happy tale about romance and sweetness, this is probably not the story for you. But if you trust me to tell an interesting tale, and I hope that you do, I promise that I will give you something very different.**

**For those familiar with the story, we pick up not long after it begins...and for those of you who haven't seen it, and really want to see Tom be amazing as always, it's actually over at Imdb for free. So go watch it!**

**I wanted to say thank you to Wynter S. Kommen, Sarah7170 and leaveyoursanityatthedoor for the help getting this off the ground.**

**I also wanted to say that this will probably update a bit slower than my other stories because I have to be in a certain mindset to write this...but I have it plotted...so it will happen!**

**As always, please, please read and review...thank you as always for all the support! Love you guys!**

* * *

No one would really be all that surprised if a girl who poked a rabid dog with a stick was mauled. That sort of thing is just what happens when you get too close to a damaged animal.

People would read about it in the newspapers while they drank their morning coffee. They'd sit there and shake their heads with a sad click of the tongue and probably wonder just what that foolish girl was thinking.

But instead of poking it with a stick, what if the same girl pet that rabid dog? Well, when reading that same article those sad clicks and shakes of the head would inevitably turn to scoffs and mutters that, "she should have known better than to touch that animal".

And instead of petting it, if she'd brought it into her home, fed it, took it into her bed and held it in her arms...well, then you'd hear no sympathy, instead just snarls and grumbles that, "she got what she deserved".

No one would probably even bother to read into it, to understand that the reason that she let that dog come right up to her and touch her, was that she had lived with rabid dogs all her life.

She was born to one, raised by it, she was surrounded by them when she was growing up, and like any person who spends time with dodgy creatures on a regular basis...in time she forgot they were dangerous.

* * *

_London, England, 1984_

Claire McSheehy never knew what it was to want for anything as a little girl. Her parents saw to it that she had everything that her heart ever desired, and they lavished every bit of attention on her. She grew up with a rose tint to her glasses and she never could have imagined what went on for other people in the outside world.

But standing in the rain outside a little salon down the street from her dumpy second floor flat in East London, she was starting to learn a little about it. Her stomach growled loudly and she chewed on her lips and took a deep breath to ignore the hunger pang that was now turning into a steady gnawing ache.

She was starving, but there really wasn't much that could be done about that. Food cost money, and the money that she left Boston with was almost gone. She had no one here to help her out- and she couldn't go home. She was absolutely helpless, and completely alone. In fact she'd never felt so lonely in her entire life, and she hated it.

London was supposed to be a clean start.

But because she had absolutely no idea how to function on her own without someone else budgeting everything else for her- for Christ's sake, she'd never worked a day in her life- the reality of the situation was much different than her intended plan. She'd been here on a trip after she graduated high school for a couple of weeks and absolutely fallen in love with the city.

She'd stayed in a gorgeous place in Kensington...which she quickly found out was way out of budget for the $4,500 that was all she had to her name. So that was how she ended up in her shitty one bedroom second floor flat on the East side two months ago with a landlord that told her she'd be on her ass the minute she was late on her rent.

Claire took a deep breath, trying to stop the tears that were filling her icy blue eyes as she looked up at her reflection in the mirrored windows of the salon in front of her. Three months had really taken their toll. Her skin was already pale thanks to her full Irish heritage, but it seemed to almost glow in the cloudy afternoon like a ghost, and she'd always been slender, but she was willing to wager that after a week or so of eating nothing but breakfast cereal and crackers her 5'8'' frame had shrunken down to about 115 lbs. It was a small blessing that somehow her tits and her ass were still nice and curvy.

A sick feeling accompanied the hunger in her stomach when she actually told herself that maybe, if all else failed, she'd at least have that to sell. She shook her head to ignore that thought, she might have been down and out thousands of miles from home running away from everything that she had known for the past 27 years, but she'd rather starve to death than do that.

She stared at the newspaper in her hand and the dozens of jobs she'd circled and then crossed out after being turned down, and then looked at the "Help Wanted" sign in the window one more time before she fluffed her thick waist length cherry red hair and walked in.

A small chime rang over her head as the instant smell of hair dye and styling products filled her nostrils. The place wasn't very big at all, and pretty much deserted by the look of things. She unconsciously pulled at the hem of her denim miniskirt and looked around before clearing her throat, "Hello? Is anyone here?"

"Yes!" A voice came from the back as a tiny brunette appeared from a side room juggling an arm full of towels that were almost as tall as she was. She dropped them on a chair before walking over with a sweet smile on her face, her brown eyes sparkling. "Can I help you?"

For the first time in weeks Claire actually relaxed for a second, "Yeah, um, I saw that you were looking for help."

"Yeah!" She answered excitedly, "For a stylist, hold on a second." She turned around to yell out, and a moment later a stocky looking man with a bad comb over in a really awful polyester shirt and covered with tacky gold jewelry walked out to stare at them. "Murray, this girl's askin' about the job."

He looked her over with an eager eye, and Claire actually felt her stomach turn before he grunted, "Where you from?"

"Oh, um, the US, Boston," She answered quickly.

"You done hair before?"

She bit her lip, "Well I've never worked in a salon before, but I do my hair and used to do all my friends hair back home. Cut, color, perm, you name it, I can do any style."

He frowned, "You got a license from beauty school?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Then you can't work here." He grunted before he turned around and started to walk off.

Claire's heart sank and her pulse raced, she couldn't get turned down from this. She had no money and her rent was due in two weeks. "Do you need help answering phones, or shampooing and cleaning up, I can do that, I'll do anything." Her voice was starting to shake, but the fat man seemed completely unmoved.

"I ain't lookin' for that. I need a stylist, and you ain't got a license, so I don't need you." He said as he walked back to his office and slammed the door.

She took a deep breath in and out, and the brunette tried to smile. "He's a shit that one, I'm sorry about that."

"That's okay," Claire said with a weak smile, "I have a few more places left to go before I'm totally screwed."

"Can I freshen you up a little, give you a shampoo, trim and a blow dry?" She offered, "You have the most gorgeous hair I have ever seen, I love doing long thick hair."

"Oh, um, that would be great, I am way overdue, but I don't have any money."

The brunette waived her hand, "It's on me for the way he talked to you."

"Thanks," She answered with a smile.

"Name's Maggie by the way."

"Nice to meet you Maggie, I'm Claire."

* * *

An hour later she was standing back on the side walk again with her long hair silky and freshly cut, but she was still starving. Maggie had told her that there was a "local" down the street that was looking for a bartender, but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea because it wasn't really the best neighborhood and the crowd that came in was definitely not the best.

She thanked her for the advice, and had to keep from telling her that she knew all about that type. That type was the reason she was standing here half a world from home starving her ass off instead of getting ready to head to the mall to pick up the latest lines that had debuted at Fashion Week in New York City a month ago with mommy and daddy's credit card.

Her stomach growled again, and she sighed as she reached into her purse to pull out her last cigarette. She lit it with a long drag as she turned towards the pub and walked slowly, hoping that the nicotine would at least help to calm her raging gut for the moment.

* * *

Maggie was definitely right, the pub was just about as shady as you could get. The smell of stale cigarette smoke and whiskey hung in the air, and there were three guys sitting at the bar that looked a little worse for wear at noon on a Thursday. The bartender, who was an interesting combination of probably the scariest imaginings that you could put together into one human being, looked up at her with a disinterested look on his sallow face.

"You lost?"

Claire swallowed hard as the other men at the bar turned to look at her with hungry gazes through foggy, drunken eyes. "I, um was wondering if you needed any help down here, um Maggie down the street at the hair salon mentioned it."

The man's face changed, "Maggie Summers sent you?"

"Yeah," She answered, noting that the men instantly turned away from her and put their heads down. The bartender gestured to an empty section of stools before he poured her a pint and put it down.

"I can't pay for this," She said instantly, hating herself for the easiness that she was now readily admitting the fact that she had nothing at all to her name and wincing when her stomach growled loudly.

"It's on me," He said as he pushed it closer, "Any friend of Maggie's family's welcome here."

"Yeah, such a nice little family _that_ is."

The sharp scoff came from over her shoulder, and Claire turned to see a tall blonde with an insane figure in a skin tight red mini-dress and a black leather coat as she hung up the pay phone and sauntered over to the bar. She was beautiful, her thick curly hair was perfectly teased into a voluminous cascade, and she had sharp hazel eyes that seemed to almost seem piercing. But there was something about her that was absolutely fascinating.

Because while Claire felt like a fish out of water in the middle of the desert with not a drop of water in sight, this woman was like a lioness. She was hard and strong, and everything that she wasn't even close to being.

The woman smiled and sauntered over to the bar, sitting on a stool right next to her as she tapped the bar with a long, blood red painted fingernail. "Can I get a tequila shot?"

She reached into a small black leather clutch that matched her jacket and fished out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one with a puff and exhaling slowly as her eyes raked over Claire's form before she spoke. "So, you're American, huh? If you don't mind me askin' what is a pretty little thing like you doing in a shitty place like this?"

"Yeah, I'm from Boston." Claire said as she took a sip of the bitter dark beer, wincing at the taste, but knowing that the thick liquid would at least fill her stomach for a little while. "I'm looking for work."

She smiled slowly as she downed her shot without a beat, "Yeah, sure you are. Innocent little girl like you is lookin' for work in the East End."

"Well I live here now," Claire snapped, "So it makes sense."

Her eyes went wide for a second before she nodded and made a face, "Alright, _that_ ain't what I expected. I'm Katherine Moore, call me Kat, by the way, I live a few streets over."

"Claire McSheehy," She answered quietly.

"Pretty Irish girl from Boston," Kat mused as she ordered another shot with nothing more than a point of her perfectly manicured fingernail. "That explains all that beautiful red hair." She reached out to touch the side of her face gently and tucked a strand behind her ear. "My sweet little Cherry."

Claire actually blushed under the scrutiny, she wasn't sure exactly what was happening. Was this woman trying to pick her up? Her nerves started to irritate her already unsettled stomach, and suddenly an almost inhuman growl echoed through the mostly empty pub.

Kat laughed as she slammed back her shot, "Goddamn, when's the last time you ate a meal, girly?"

"That would be two days ago," She admitted sourly, "I had a handful of cereal and some saltines."

"For fuck's sake, you need something to eat."

"I don't have any money."

She rolled her eyes, "I got that already," She reached into her bag to pull out a couple of bills and slam them down on the counter. "That was me offerin' to buy you something to eat."

"Oh, um..."

"Look, I ain't pickin' you up to fuck you, I'm hungry too." Kat explained as she stood up. "So let's go."

Claire's blue eyes went wide for a moment at the woman's blunt words and when she tapped her foot impatiently she finally jumped off the bar stool and followed her as she walked out the door.

* * *

Kat took her a few doors down to what she quickly discovered was a takeout place that served fish and chips, which was great, because that was something that she actually knew that she liked to eat. Though right now, she was so goddamn hungry she would have actually contemplated eating out of the trash tonight if this hadn't happened.

Claire tried to stand on ceremony and act like a civilized human being when the plate of piping hot fish and potatoes was in front of her, but she just couldn't. She literally stuffed some searing hot fries into her mouth the first second she could, and even though it scorched her tongue and fried the roof of her mouth she swallowed it down and proceeded to chug the best tasting can of Coca Cola that had ever existed on the planet.

Kat merely stared at her as she calmly shook vinegar onto her chips and shook her head, "You should breathe when you eat, Cherry, I don't think the fish is going to swim off."

After she managed to get down half of the hot, flaky fish, Claire finally took a deep breath and slowed down. "Thank you for this, I was so hungry, this is like the best thing I have ever had in my life."

She laughed as she chewed and smirked, "That's probably the first time someone said that about food at the chippy; but if that's the short of it, I can't let a hungry girl starve. I've been one myself so I know the feeling."

"Thanks again," Claire said as she finished her plate in record time and tried not to think about the fact that she could easily down another one. But it would seem her companion could read her mind.

"You want another?" Kat asked pointing to the counter.

"Oh, no," Claire answered, "I don't want to be a pig; that was more than generous."

She rolled her eyes and pulled out her wallet, tossing a ten pound bill on the table. "Go get some more and then you'll have takeaway for dinner later. If you are gonna be poor enough to starve, you have to know how to make the most of a meal. Better learn that lesson quick."

Claire frowned for a second as she looked at Kat, was it that plain to see that she was a spoiled little rich girl that was in over her head? She walked over and paid for another meal, waiting patiently and smiling as her stomach rumbled from actually being full. By the time she took it back over to the table she was able to eat it like a normal person.

"So," She said trying to make conversation with Kat, "Did you grow up here?"

"Nah, I grew up in Sheffield, came to London when I was sixteen 'cause I wanted to be a movie star." Kat answered with a snort. "I ain't a fucking movie star if you can't guess."

"Oh," Claire said as she sipped the last of her soda. "You are pretty enough to be."

"Aww, thanks for kissing my ass, Cher," She said as she took another bite. "So, enough of this shit, what brings you all the way across the pond to this pretty little place? Got bored at home with Mum and Dad?"

Claire swallowed hard as the mention of her father instantly had the echo of a gunshot ringing in her ears, "I don't want to talk about it."

Kat stopped chewing and stared at her for a moment, as if really seeing her for the first time. "Alright, I won't be nosy. So, my guess is you need some work so you won't be a starving little thing, am I right?"

"Yeah."

"And there ain't shit for jobs around here." She answered as much to herself as to Claire while she reached into her bag and pulled out a silver flask, taking a pull before offering it up. Claire declined with a shake of her head and she took a deep breath. "You've never worked a day in your life have you, Cherry?"

"No," Claire answered as her fist clenched. "But I'm not stupid, and I'm not useless."

"Didn't say you were," She said as she took another sip. "You've got a sack on you, I can tell. Let me ask you, you willing to work nights?"

Claire's pale blue eyes went wide for a second and she chewed her lip before nervously answering, her voice dropping to a whisper, "I'm not interested in being a...prostitute."

Kat's whole face scrunched up, "Well thank you for callin' me a dirty whore. I was askin' if you wanted to bartend. You know make drinks, fuck, Cherry, do I look that much like a slag?"

Her face went bright red as she stared at her, "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to insult you. I just am so desperate, never mind. I could do that, I used to make drinks at home."

It was true she used to make drinks for her father's associates when they came over for their weekly meetings...when he was still on top...and not lying on the living room floor with a bullet in the back of his head.

Kat smirked, "I used to fuck for money, don't worry about it. And to be honest, the place, Foxx Tails, it's really a pretty glorified brothel disguised as a gentleman's club, but don't worry with a body like you got and that face, you are gonna be one of the untouchables."

"So just bartending?"

"Yeah," The blonde nodded, "Just bartending and making drunk fucks give you all their money. That's it."

"Okay, when do I start?"

Kat laughed and took a pull off her flask before tucking in back in her purse. "Ah, no. You start after Sharon gives you the once over."

"Oh, should I call for an interview?"

"No we're going right now."

* * *

Claire sat nervously in the front seat of Kat's orange 1979 Ford Escort beater as they pulled up to the curb of a dingy looking brick building with a purple awning that had "Foxx Tails" prominently displayed in matching neon lights along with an outline of a naked lady with a wagging tail.

Kat looked over at her as she finished her cigarette with a huge drag and flicked it out the window. "This is the place," She announced as she opened the door and Claire followed, "And it is as shitty on the inside as it looks on the outside."

Her heart was pounding as she walked into the dimly lit place, the smell of stale smoke and alcohol hitting her in the face like a baseball bat. Kat nodded to a huge looking guy at the front door with a shaved head and a very ginger colored beard before they pushed through swinging double doors into the main part of the club.

It was just a huge room with a bar to the left, a stage at the front, and scattered all around were booths and tables were upholstered in tacky purple velvet and black leather that looked like they were purposely arranged to allow for privacy. Her eyes also caught sight of several curtained stalls off to the far right, and a staircase that led down to what the neon light proclaimed to be the "Foxx Hole".

Her skin crawled and she had to clench her jaw as a wave of hatred ripped through her. She shouldn't have to be doing this...she was a fucking _McSheehy_.

But that wasn't going to get her anywhere anymore. So it was with complete defeat that she followed Kat behind the bar and up a narrow staircase. They walked up to a plain black door with a keypad combination that Kat covered up as she typed in before a heavy lock clicked and the door opened.

The office was small but lavishly furnished in dark wood and rich black leather. There was none of the tackiness from the bottom floor. And there, sitting behind a huge mahogany desk was an elegant older woman with a very stylish short bob haircut that was almost the same magenta red as her own hair. She was in a perfectly tailored black pinstriped suit and she beamed instantly when she caught sight of them both.

"Well Kitty, who is _this_?"

Her voice was musically accented and so cheery that it made Claire pause. Especially when her elegantly made up face and flawless white teeth couldn't disguise the way her bright green eyes looked flat, as if there was nothing at all behind them. She'd seen eyes like that before, dead eyes on living people.

"This is a little cherry I found lost at my local, she's in from America and looking for some work. I knew you'd love her." Kat said as she sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk and gestured for Claire to do the same.

"And it isn't even my birthday." She said sweetly, "What's your name, baby girl?"

"Claire McSheehy, I'm from Boston."

"Pretty Irish girl, I'm Sharon Milton, I run this little place." Sharon said with a wide smile. "And I've been waiting for a perfect thing like you for ages. Look at all that red hair and that tight little body, I bet you make the men crazy at home don't you?"

Claire blushed a little at the way the older woman was staring at her chest and her short skirt. "Stand up and let me look at you."

She obeyed nervously and when Sharon twirled her finger in the air she spun slowly and then jumped when the woman loudly clapped her hands. "Oh, my goodness, just look at you! Kitty, she's just gorgeous!"

"I knew you'd like her," Kat said with a shrug and a small smile.

"Well," Sharon sighed dramatically as she looked at her silver watch. "You two had better run along and get ready, you don't want to be late. It's almost three."

Claire's eyes went wide with surprise, "I get the job?"

Sharon made a face and stood up from her desk to walk around to the front showing off her pantsuit and her tall black stiletto heels that peeked out of the cuff of her pants. "Of course you get the job." She held out her arms wide and beckoned her in for a hug with a smile. The woman's arms went around her tight and despite the fact that it was supposed to be a comforting gesture, a shiver ran up Claire's spine.

She pulled away a minute later to take her face in her hands, "My little Cherry, you and I are going to make a lot of money together for a long time. I promise."

She kissed her gently on the nose and then walked around to the back of her desk to start rifling through the paperwork that was neatly stacked with her head down, and when Kat got up from her chair, Claire knew they were both being dismissed.

"See you at five, my darlings."

* * *

Claire followed Kat out to the curb and took the lit cigarette that she was offered by the blonde woman who stared at her for a long beat. "You want to come back to my place to get ready, or do you have clothes to wear?"

"Well, I don't really have much," She answered honestly.

Kat nodded, "Alright, I've got plenty of stuff we can play with and we've got some time, come on then."

She started the car and Claire climbed in, turning to look at the woman who had managed to help her so much in just a couple of hours. Maybe now she could manage to keep a roof over her head and food in her stomach. Maybe now she'd actually have a chance to make London the fresh start that she'd hoped it would be. "Thank you," She said quietly. "For everything."

Kat smirked and exhaled a long cloud of smoke out of the side of her mouth. "Don't thank me just yet, Cherry, it's going to be a long night."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Well this second chapter came out faster than I thought...it really tells you what kind of week you are going to have when Freddie is in your head...**

**So this one goes out with a fair bit of warning on language...but that is all for now...should I really have to do a language disclaimer? LOL.**

**I wanted to say that I was flattered that the first chapter caught that many reviews! Makes me a happy lady! So please, read and review again...we are just getting started here! And I am still freaked by the whole thing...so, yeah. : )**

**Also, just wanted to mention that the title, "Temptation Waits" is actually a song by the band Garbage...you should really, really check it out...the lyrics speak for themselves!**

**And to my lovely trampolines and inspiration givers...MWAH! Love you! (Psst...lazy edit again, sorry!)**

* * *

It was the simple things in life. Things that you missed from being locked in a cage like an animal for four years, those were the things that he wanted his fill of right now. Like the slow, thick way whiskey made his head feel, the way good blow had his heart racing and his skin tingling, and the way the pussy he was buried balls deep in at the moment brought it all together. Yeah, it _was _the fucking simple things he'd missed.

But there was no wanting anymore, he was out and there was nothing that was going to stand in his way from getting everything he wanted. He was fucking Freddie Jackson- and it was time for people to recognize that.

He felt a warning jerk in his cock and he knew it was all over for the time being. He pulled out roughly and jacked his hand up and down his shaft and finished with a gasp, covering her ass with his release before he tucked himself back into his pants and zipped up with a practiced motion.

"Thanks, for that babe," He mumbled with a cheeky smile as the plain blonde with caked on makeup and greasy, teased hair turned around to stare at him with a look of disgust in her red-rimmed eyes. He chuckled as he reached into his pocket to light a cigarette, realizing that he had no idea what she actually looked like in bright light.

Shit, usually he had better taste than that. Maybe he was just a little too eager today. Freddie turned and walked out of her place without a second thought and without another word. He straightened the collar on his shirt and took a drag of his cigarette.

Well, with that out of the way, on to other things.

Jimmy was waiting right where he left him, sitting in the car and staring off into space. It was one of the few constants that Freddie always had in his life. His cousin had been with him from the cradle and if all went well he'd be there 'till the grave. You couldn't buy loyalty like Jimmy. But, he was getting ahead of himself. There was a lot in between that cradle and grave to be enjoyed. When he'd been locked up he'd made the right connections, hell he went in a shitty excuse for a car thief, but when he came out, he had a fucking University level education in drugs and crime courtesy of Ozzy.

Never let it be said that he wasn't a charmer. And right now they were both just starting to run with the old man's trust. He'd made more money this week running coke and guns than he had in his entire life. Things were finally starting to fall into place for him, just like he'd always deserved.

He opened the door to the car and sat down with an exaggerated huff, "Jimmy-boy that right there was a poor choice, coulda stayed home and got that. Next time I'd appreciate a warning or something from you, yeah?"

Jimmy shook his head, "That is sort of the whole idea with being married, Freddie, you just go home to your wife."

Freddie made a face, curling his lip in disgust and stared at his cousin, how was he so naive? "_You_ want to go home to Jackie every night? Come on now, talk some fucking sense. Once a week or so is being very reasonable when you are talking about her."

He shook his head again, a small smile lighting up his face, "Yeah, well you married her."

"That's what happens when you blow your load inside a bird and knock her up, let that be a lesson to you." Freddie explained with a smirk taking a drag off his cigarette and spinning his watch to look at the time. "Well, it's ten to five, and I'm starving. Let's get something to eat and then get on with the night. After that little fuckin' thing, I'm in the mood for something top notch, let's go chase some foxy tails, eh?"

"You can chase, I'll just make sure you don't end up wanting to chew your arm off later."

Freddie smirked, "Fucking Jimmy, Maggie got a golden pussy or somethin'? Wait, let me guess, she ain't got a gag reflex?"

"Hey, hey, keep her out of it." Jimmy said with a nod of the head as he stared the car. "And you know Freddie, there are women out there that are good enough that a man doesn't want anything else. That's what she is."

Freddie scoffed and then laughed out loud as he pulled out a small baggie from his pocket to dust a little bit of white powder on the side of his hand before snorting it and rubbing the tip of his nose with the back of his hand. "Yeah, I'll bet the world is just full of those pretty little things Jimmy-boy, and as soon as I see one I'll let you know."

* * *

Claire stood in the kitchen of Kat's flat marveling at the size of the place. Her entire apartment could fit into hers at least twice. She'd explained that she fell into it with a bit of luck, the old lady who owned it before had taken her in off the streets and to pay her back Kat had taken care of her until she passed away the summer before. She had no family, and she'd actually willed the property to her.

"You want a cup of tea?" Kat asked as she threw on the kettle. "I'm still full from earlier, but if you want to heat up your left over takeaway and have dinner I recommend it, it's a long time 'til two."

Claire nodded, looking around and realizing with glee that she actually had a microwave oven. She popped in her dinner for a minute and ate it standing at the counter, seeming for the second time that this was probably the best meal that she had ever enjoyed in her life, regardless of the fact that the fries and the fish were a little soggier the second time around. It didn't matter one little bit.

Kat poured her a mug of tea and offered her milk and the sugar bowl. Claire poured three heaping spoonfuls in and drowned it in milk, smelling the strength of the brew the minute she poured it. She wasn't really a tea drinker, but if she was going to live in London she should at least learn to do what the natives did.

"You want a little tea with that milk and sugar, Cherry?" She laughed as she sipped at hers slowly. "Now, I just want to go over a few things with you about tonight, alright?"

"Okay."

"First off there are four types of girls that work there, bartenders, dancers, servers, and the ones downstairs." She ticked off her fingers. "Bartenders are at the top, we make the most money and have to have the least contact with customers. Then you have your dancers, who probably come in a close second, but why shake your ass when you don't have to. Then you have the servers who actually have to walk the floor and deal with those wankers touching them, and lastly the girls downstairs- you don't want anything to do with that fucking shit. Matty the bouncer will watch you all night, no one gets to touch you."

"So I get to be at the top just like that?" Claire asked as she blew on the hot tea, "That doesn't seem right."

Kat rolled her eyes and smiled, "You are too naive for your own good. You know you are gorgeous, and the other girl who has been working the bar with me, Gina, well she ain't. So she'll be on the pole from now on whether she likes it or not."

"Won't she be mad?"

Kat shrugged, "Tough shit for her, that's what I want, and what Sharon wants. She'll get over herself real quick, but she is a right bitch, so I'm not saying that she's going to be sweet to you."

"I can deal with that." Claire said with a nod. She wasn't really lying either, she may not have had to lift a finger growing up, but there was a definite part of growing up Irish in Boston that meant a girl not only had to have a perfect manicure, but she occasionally had to introduce said nails into another girl's face for mouthing off. And her Daddy might not have taught her how to get a job, but he did show her how to throw a right hook.

Kat sipped at her tea and finally snapped her fingers, "One more thing, you got a drug of choice?"

"Not really," She answered, "I mean I drink, and I won't pass up weed now and then, but I don't do anything else. I've tried coke, it's not my thing."

"Good answer, Cherry," Kat said with a straight face. "Nothing will fuck you faster than that. Try to keep that in mind, this ain't a playground it's work. I don't need to be picking you out of the gutter. Not to mention Sharon will have my ass. And that goes with birth control too. I'll get you pills, we all have to take them."

Her eyebrow rose, "That's kinda personal."

"Pregnant ain't cute working her bar, and if you aren't working you aren't making her money." She explained with a shrug her eyes going to the floor for a moment before she cleared her throat. "I don't imagine that's a problem with you."

"No."

"Good."

Claire finished her dinner and her tea and threw out the container as Kat waived her up to the second floor to her huge bedroom. Once again she was impressed by the way the simple accommodations were made somehow impressive. She had a huge closet full of clothes that she stood in front of with her hands on her hips.

"Well, I think I am going to have to go in my skinny drawer because you look like about half my size." She pulled open a side bureau and fished through until she came up with a tiny pair of leather shorts and a dark denim halter top that zipped on the front with silver studded buttons in almost a military look. "Try those on."

Claire waited a moment before she pulled off her huge knit sweater and then her bra before she put of the top, and then shucking her miniskirt so she could pull on the tiny shorts. It took a moment of wiggling to get them on, but when she looked in the mirror, they fit perfectly. That is with just the very bottom of her rounded butt peeking out.

Kat nodded appreciatively, "Damn, girly, they are going to be falling all over themselves tonight to get a look at you. Now you just need shoes, we look like we are about the same size." She dug through the bottom of her closet until she came up with a tall pair of shiny black pumps, "They are actually pretty comfortable too, but you'll get used to being on your feet all night."

She slipped them on and kept turning to look at herself in the mirror, shocked at how fast she'd seemingly transformed into something that already looked stronger than she was this afternoon. She didn't feel like that starving, desperate thing anymore. She felt like someone who would be able to care for herself.

Claire grabbed her huge purse and dug into the worn Ziploc bag that she'd thrown all of her makeup in and pulled some black eyeliner, silver shadow and ivory powder out to start touching up on her face as Kat stripped behind her and threw on a skin tight purple halter mini-dress and matching pumps.

She flipped her hair over and absently grabbed a can of hairspray and proceeded to drench her long hair with a huge cloud before whipping her head back and doing it again to the top part. She offered up the can as Claire coughed and shook her head, "I think I have enough residual from here."

"Well it's windy in London; better get used to it, chicken." Kat replied as she did her own makeup, staring at Claire in the mirror. "I can't wait to see the money you are going to make tonight. I'll bet you cash out with 300 quid easy."

Her blue eyes went as wide as saucers, "That's all of my rent! In one night, oh my God, I could actually sleep at night."

"Well, I hope you remember who got you started." She said with a smirk.

Claire smiled as she added a bit of magenta lipstick onto her full lips that somehow brought out the color of her hair and further emphasized her pale features. She teased out her long hair, and was infinitely grateful for the free attention that it had received earlier; it certainly helped to make it look amazing. It was as good as it was going to be.

Kat reached into her closet and pulled out a fitted light leather coat and tossed it at her as she slid her own on. "Time to get going, gotta pick someone on the way."

Claire nodded and followed her out onto the street, she felt more than a little self-conscious as a group of young guys walking by started to whistle and cat-call at them. She was practically naked in public. And while her face went bright red, Kat just took it in stride, telling them to "fuck off and if they wanted to see them they could come to Foxx Tails and pay like everyone else".

"You ain't used to that are you?" She asked as she lit up two cigarettes and handed one off. "Men saying stuff like that to you."

Claire smiled, remembering the reputation her father had once upon a time, and for the first time in a long time she thought about Seamus too. "Not to my face," she finally said out loud. "I had guy that wouldn't take it too well, not to mention my father."

"Oh, so there's a man," Kat said with a huff.

"Nope," She answered staring out the window. "There _was_ a guy_ occasionally_, but he's doing 25-to-life right now, got locked up last year sometime, maybe the year before."

"For what?"

"Extortion and racketeering, and I think they got a murder charge to stick." Claire said as she took a drag off the cigarette. She almost felt bad about the whole thing, Seamus O'Connell had been in love with her from the time she was sixteen, but to her it was never more than a passing fancy. He was cute, and the Friday nights spent sneaking out with a bottle of her Mom's schnapps to have sex in the back of his Pontiac Trans Am had been fun...but it wasn't going to last. She knew it even then. He was a boy, even at twenty-five, and she wanted a man.

Kat scrunched her face up and stared at her for a long time before an almost comical grin spread across her pink lips. "That's it, ain't it, Cherry? Daddy was a mob guy wasn't he? And let me guess you were his pretty little princess that got the best of everything without even knowing what was goin' on."

Claire frowned for a second, realizing that it must have been easier to read her than she thought. But Kat and the entire East End seemed to know this sort of thing the same way South Boston did. In Southie you were either in the mafia, on the payroll, making drops, or making payments. But she'd never lived _in_ it before. Her family never saw the streets from behind the gated walls in their Quincy mansion.

"Not exactly," She said with a smirk. "I knew what was going on. You'd have to be blind not to know."

"Huh," Kat said, "Now that is interesting, not as innocent as I thought you were. But, Daddy ain't around anymore is he?"

Claire shivered and stared out the window, a flash of her mother's favorite white mink coat sprayed with bright red blood danced in her mind. "I don't want to talk about it." The flat tone of her voice was enough for the blonde to instantly drop the conversation.

* * *

Kat pulled her Escort up to a street corner a few blocks down and Claire looked out her window to see a small, very sickly looking brunette who somehow managed to have even less clothes on than she did. Her shoulder length brown hair was a little greasy, and she looked like she'd already had a rough day.

"That's why you keep your nose clean, Cherry," Kat said lowly. "You let them get their claws into you and it's a losing battle."

The back door of the Escort opened and the girl flopped down in the backseat as Kat smiled, "Hey Holly, this is the new girl Claire, she's gonna be on the bar with me."

Claire turned around so she could meet the glazed, chocolate colored stare as it looked like the poor girl actually needed a moment to work through the simple sentence.

"Wow, you're so beautiful," Her voice was slurred, and Claire had to fight the urge to scrunch her nose at the overwhelming smell of vodka on her breath. "I'm Holly Keon, what's your name again?"

"Claire McSheehy," She answered with a smile.

"All the boys are just going to love you," Holly said with a sigh. "You are so beautiful."

Kat shook her head and tapped the steering wheel, "Hol, you just been drinkin' today? No pills?"

Her eye makeup was smudged leaving dark black circles under her eyes, and Claire's heart actually ached for her. She didn't need to know where Holly worked in the club, she was downstairs, the poor thing.

"Yeah, I had a few lines last night, but I ain't been pill poppin'. Like she'd care if I died down there so long as my cunt stayed warm to make her money." Holly said as she pulled out a brown paper bag and unscrewed the top, drinking whatever the contents were like it was nothing but water.

"I'd care," Kat said pointedly. "We talked about this, you get on those pills again I am taking you to the hospital myself. I don't care what she says."

Holly's eyes watered as she took another sip, "No pills, Kitty, I promise."

* * *

It was a little before four thirty when they walked into the front door to the place; the odor once again making Claire instantly nauseated. She was definitely going to need a little shot of something to make it through. Kat pushed through the double doors like she owned the place, gesturing for Claire to follow her up to the same narrow stairs that led to Sharon's office, although this time they walked into a small room that was on the left. It was little more than a coat room and a makeshift dressing room with a dingy mirror on one side of the wall and a small counter that was littered with cosmetics and a tiny door off the back.

"Yeah, feel free to drop my coat here," She said with a laugh, "And the toilet is back there, which I don't recommend unless you can't avoid it. Personally I'd piss in the alley before I used it."

Claire nodded and helped Holly hang up her coat as she stumbled on her feet before they both followed Kat back down the stairs to the main floor where she reached behind the bar to grab a clipboard with a bunch of papers on it. She flipped through quickly and Claire suddenly began to feel self-conscious again as girls appeared from behind the various curtains to congregate in front of Kat.

They all looked in various states of dress and demeanor, a few of them as bad off as Holly, but others not so much…but every single one of them had a sharp and harsh eye turned on her. She felt like a side of fresh meat thrown into the lioness' den.

"Alright, listen up," Kat said loudly. "Holly, Sam and Mary downstairs tonight girls, Lizbeth, Emma and Suzy you are on the floor, and looks like Gina and Sara on stage. This is Cherry; she works the bar with me from now on."

"Wait a fuckin' minute," A voice piped up, and Claire looked over to see a decently good looking girl with curly black hair and hazel eyes and an hourglass figure step up in front of Kat. "I work the bar, Sharon told me last night."

"Yeah, well, Gina, that was 'till she hired her today," Kat answered matter-of-fact, not even looking up from her clipboard.

"Well who does this skinny little whore think she is? I waited for that job, and I'll be doing it tonight!"

Kat calmly turned and put the clipboard down on the bar, and Claire stared at the other women whose eyes were all darting around a mile a minute as if something was going to happen. She jumped out of her skin when she saw the blonde wheel around to grab a fistful of the other woman's hair, twisting and yanking until she was helplessly dangling on her tip-toes and crying out in pain.

"Who the fuck you talkin' to, slag? You are gonna get in line bitch or I am going to smash your fuckin' face on the bar and it won't be fit to be seen in public, got me? Now apologize to Cherry for being a cunt and get to work, you have to get changed."

Kat's voice was as cold as ice, and for the first time since she'd met her this afternoon, Claire was actually petrified of her. But sure enough when she shoved Gina away she mumbled a curt apology in her direction and stormed off towards the changing room. The minute she was gone all of the other girls came over and introduced themselves, Kat's little display had served to instantly change the tone of the place, and it was abundantly clear that you did not mess with her.

Sharon may have ruled from her office, but there was no mistaking who ran the floor- the Kat had claws.

* * *

Of course five hours into her shift, Claire understood exactly why Kat was the way she was. To call the clientele of Foxx Tails scum would actually be a compliment. These were men who aspired someday to be scum. Men with tacky jewelry and drunken leers, whispering filthy comments that made her actually want to go home and sit in her small little tub and soak in scalding hot water to make it all go away. And worse yet, was there one of these disgusting pigs that didn't have a wedding ring on?

It was enough to turn her stomach; that was if they didn't stop tipping her like it was the end of the world. Literally, she had stuffed the register, and then a jar underneath the register, and finally Kat brought out an old lock box and stuffed the bills inside before having the huge security guard Matt haul it off to Sharon's office to be emptied and returned.

"Damn, Cherry," She laughed, "Have a shot on me."

She poured them both a huge double shot of tequila and downed hers without blinking. Claire tried to follow suit, coughing a bit before she refilled the glass and offered her another. The second one went down a little easier, and she shook her head as the strong liquor began to course through her bloodstream, finally helping her to relax a tiny bit.

The music was bumping in a loud chaotic rhythm, and she took a moment to look through the smoke and neon lights to see both Gina and Sara dancing on the main stage with a crowd of men surrounding them, it was almost amusing to notice that it wasn't a strip club in the traditional sense…the dancers were merely go-go girls. The irony of course came in the never ending line of men that came and went down the back staircase under the watchful eye of another security guard. So there weren't topless strippers, but there were prostitutes.

But the only thing she could see everywhere was money.

"Why ain't you out there dancin' pretty girl?" A slurred croaking voice pulled her out of her daze. Claire looked over to see a sallow faced man that had to be in his seventies looking at her with a drunken leer. "I'd empty my bank account to see you do that."

There was something so sleazy and still harmless about it that Claire simply laughed as Kat threw her arm across her shoulder. "Stanley, if she fuckin' danced your old ass would have a stroke, so shut up and buy another drink and you can look at my Cherry a little longer."

He smiled, revealing a mouthful of yellowing teeth before letting out a hacking laugh, "Get me another whiskey then, pretty girl."

Claire obliged him with a smile and a wink as she poured another glass full of cheap no name whiskey and took his money and the healthy tip he playfully dangled in front of her face. She pulled the five pound note away from him and tucked it away in the top of her halter with a smirk as she turned away to walk to the other side of the bar with a purposeful roll to her hips.

* * *

There are moments that when looked through the lens of hindsight become glaringly obvious that they should have been avoided; simple events that could have made all the difference, and maybe this would have been one of them. Claire was leaning over to take another order when Kat tapped her shoulder, pulling her around and putting her mouth to her ear to talk over the music.

"I'm going to go upstairs for a minute with Sharon, Matty is right at the end of the counter, I'll be five minutes, you gonna be alright?"

"Yeah," She shouted back, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Kat nodded and hefted the full lock box from underneath the register, disappearing up the stairs. Claire turned back around to finish pouring the drink. She was absently scanning the crowded club, taking stock of her surroundings, when the swinging doors suddenly pushed open and just like that she caught sight of the first man all night who finally had _her_ attention.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: New week and I have a lovely present for you...Freddie is here my friends...in all...well, **_**most**_** of his glory.**

**Totally want to give the warnings for language, and drug use...and Freddie being his normal charming self.**

**Also want to say I didn't do a super close edit on this because I wanted to get it out. But I'll fix if I must.**

**Have to give a shout out to my girl sarah7170 who was a huge help and inspiration for this chapter...this is for you, love. : )**

**Please read and review...**_**please**_**? You have to feed Freddie to keep him happy...you all know how he is when he's not happy... ; )**

* * *

Freddie never was someone that took more than a passing interest in anything. Drugs, women, cars, jewelry, it didn't matter, things were pleasant enough at first, but that died quickly to be replaced by something better, newer, shiner.

Everything except money of course, that was always a nice little constant. Money was always there and interesting...well, money was always interesting, it hadn't always been there. In fact he'd spent most of his life with nothing growing up with his fucking father who made sure that he_ knew_ that he was nothing.

But that didn't matter tonight as Jimmy pulled up to the front of Foxx Tails and he took one more hit from the baggie in his pocket and cleared his nose. Now this was a place to find a prime little piece. Of course it meant dealing with a woman that somehow managed to make the word "cunt" sound like a compliment, but it was all part of the draw. Sharon Milton owned this place, and she had all the best birds in the East End.

She'd been Ozzy's top girl once upon a time, and from what he'd heard in the joint, she still managed to come by and give him a little something special even now. But through him she'd risen up to sit high and mighty all by herself, with her own little piece of the empire. Nobody fucked with Sharon, in fact even Ozzy's snippy sister Patricia, who he'd seen just the other day at Siddy Clancy's little shithole place, walked a wide circle around her.

Because she wouldn't think twice about walking up in her fur coat and slicing your throat right on the street and stepping over you to get into her Mercedes.

You had to respect a woman like that. Even if she was the fucking devil in heels.

Before he went away he used to enjoy tearing right through her place, and in the week since he'd been out he'd helped himself to at least five or six of the women who worked there, and unlike the filthy thing he'd shagged earlier, they'd been some good tail. But the thing that made him smile as he pushed through the double doors and nodded to the security guard who recognized him, was that just like a fucking prime butcher, she always had fresh meat.

He walked into the darkened room with his usual swagger and arrogance, and slid off his mirrored aviator sunglasses to stare around the place. He ignored the bright lights and the strobe to try to look at who was flitting around, and he felt Jimmy finally walk up behind him and stand at his back. Just like always.

Freddie grinned as he noticed a decent little thing with blonde hair that he'd had bent over one of the corner tables a couple of nights ago that was waiting on customers, and then the two better looking girls on the stage, he'd fucked them both just the other day, pretty much at the same time in the little changing room between routines.

Now which lucky lady was it going to be tonight...

He turned his head to the bar, and he actually stopped so fast in his tracks that Jimmy actually ran into him.

"What did you stop for?" Jimmy grumbled in an irritated tone.

Freddie stared straight ahead at the bar and the tall, slender woman behind it with a mane of bright red hair that went the length of her back, falling just above the tightest little round ass he'd ever seen. And when she turned to fully face him, smiling at one of the old drunks that were always planted there, he couldn't stop himself from smiling from ear to ear. Because she was, without a doubt, the most beautiful goddamn thing he'd ever set his eyes on.

She had a set of tits that brought tears to his eyes, a good handful, perky and high, a tiny little waist, skin that looked like porcelain, and a face that just brought it all together. Big, blue eyes, and a painted full set of pouty lips that he could already see looking up at him with a nice full mouth of his cock.

But there was something else too, and it was something that stuck out even more to him than the way she looked, there was a "newness" about her. It wasn't innocence, because he could see in the curl of her mouth and the look in her eyes that she'd seen and done too many things already to be naive. But she stood out amongst the "best" that the East End had to offer and she made them all look like the pigs that they were.

He had to laugh, hadn't Jimmy just told him about girl like this? And hell, even from here she made someone as sweet and good as Maggie come up wanting.

"Look at that, Jimmy-boy," He said with a grin nodding at the red head. "Now that's what you was just tellin' me all about wasn't it? She's like my Christmas present all sorts of early, and I've been _real_ good this year."

"What are you going on about?" Jimmy asked until he followed Freddie's now pointing finger.

"That's wife material right there, that's what that is. I went home to that every day my poor cock would be rubbed raw from fuckin' her 'till she couldn't walk. You'd have to drag me away."

"Yeah, well, she ain't your wife." He replied, further illustrating the unnecessary fact.

Freddie grinned as he snapped his shoulders back, "Then it looks like I'm just gonna have to settle for ridin' her good for as long as I can. Come on Jimmy, I'm parched, let's get a drink from that little angel."

* * *

Claire huffed with a smile as she ignored another old man making some sort of obscene and disgusting remark about her tits...or her ass...or whatever. It was kind of really interesting how fast she'd learned to tune it all out. Of course the four shots of tequila that Kat had poured her in the last hour or so probably really helped with that.

But it didn't really matter, she kept looking past the pervert to the guy that had caught her attention a few minutes ago when he walked in. Well, he didn't walk in so much as strutted in. He moved with uncompromising arrogance, his chest puffed out in what should have been a comical interpretation of some sort of Bantam cock on the way to a fighting match, if it wasn't for the fact that the crowd parted for him to walk through.

It was raw power, and respect. A command of the room the same way that her father used to have, and even though she could tell that he was still new at wearing all that attitude, it was a suit that he was definitely going to grow into very soon.

He was looking at her, and Claire made sure to be coy. After all that had been all that her useless mother had ever taught her. How to smile and look like a trophy to be displayed on a man's arm- and it was a lesson that she had learned well. Except she wasn't going to be her mother, she wasn't going to stay at home while someone fucked everything with legs and then came home to her bed...oh, no, she was the type of woman that a man couldn't forget no matter how many other bitches walked by.

She tried not to smile when she saw him talking to his companion, a skinnier man who lacked the same overt arrogance, but had something else in his eyes. An eagerness to prove himself and a sense of self that ran deep. Her impromptu evaluation ended when they walked over. Her little strutting man had no sooner closed in on the stools on the far right corner of the bar, then the two people sitting in them got up and walked away.

When they sat down she made sure to wait a moment before she sashayed over herself to get a better look at them. The club lights had been a hindrance from across the floor, but not enough that she hadn't been spot on. She'd have liked to have thought that Daddy would have been proud. After all, she'd seen the same types of men all her life, and these might have been boys in a different country, but working class gangsters are all the same.

He didn't say a word to her when he sat down, and Claire just looked at him for a good long beat. He was beautiful, even though that was something she'd never say to his face. There was something boyish about his aura, but his face was flawless. A strong jaw, perfect nose, and lips like she'd never ever seen on a man. They were full and lush, and God, they looked like they were soft as down pillows.

His eyes though...those made her pause.

They were a strange grey-blue, and even with the tell-tale watering from cocaine, she could see a very interesting animal mulling around just beneath the surface. Something that was willing to play with her like a playful little puppy, and then something else that looked like it was pacing back and forth, chained on a very short leash.

He gave her a slow, mischievous smile that actually made her mirror the action before he reached into his coat to pull out a pack of cigarettes and made a show of taking one out and lighting it before wrapping his mouth around it and taking a deep drag. He released the cloud in a slow billow as his thumb played with one of the gold rings that he had on each of his fingers.

"You gonna ask me what I want to drink, or are we just gonna look at each other all night, babe? Because, I'm fine either way."

He smiled again, winking and Claire actually blushed for a second before she cleared her throat. "Sorry about that, what can I do for you tonight?"

She froze for a moment as his eyes darkened and she realized the way it sounded. He stared at her chest with blatant lust in his eyes as he raked them down slowly to her crotch before he took another long drag. Claire actually felt a little flutter of nerves start in her stomach, almost following his eyes, until they landing between her legs with a warm tingle.

"Whiskey's fine, for now." He answered finally as he puffed out a couple of smoke rings.

Claire quickly turned her back to him, needing a moment to breathe as she got a glass and the bottle of whiskey before she put it down and poured him a generous glass. He picked it up and drained it with ease, all the while keeping his eyes right on her. He sighed as he put it down, licking his lips with a sigh.

"How 'bout another one, then?"

She poured it and bit her lip as he looked at his companion for a second, worried that she was ignoring him. But he was staring off into space looking to the left and completely ignoring the both of them.

"So," He said as he teethed his plump lower lip, "You gonna tell me your name, pretty thing?"

She swallowed hard, trying to remember that confidence she had just a few moments ago, "It's Claire."

"Pretty Claire, you sound like an American bird, am I right?"

"Yeah, from Boston." She answered with a nod, not sure exactly what she should be telling random people.

"I heard about Boston before, near New York City, right?"

"Close enough."

He nodded and flicked his ash onto the floor. "Pretty Claire from Boston with all that long red hair." She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say back to him, or even if he was talking to her. But suddenly he put his hand out, tacky rings and all in a gesture that she was definitely sure was meant as a greeting.

"I'm Freddie Jackson, and this here is my cousin Jimmy."

She reached out to shake his hand, mostly out of polite reflex, but she noticed that he took an extra minute to hold on to her hand before he let go. "It's nice to meet you and your cousin, Freddie," She answered with a smile.

Freddie elbowed Jimmy sharply to get his attention, "Pretty Claire said 'hello' Jimmy-boy, best use those manners I know my Mum gave you."

Jimmy smirked, but still looked at Claire with a smile; his big blue eyes were completely different from Freddie's. He was thinner and a bit lankier all around, but there was sweetness about him. "Hello Claire, nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"Well, now that we all know each other, how about you have a drink with me?" Freddie said with a smile. "Come on, it's on me."

Claire laughed and shook her head, biting her lip as his tongue swiped out to lick his suggestively. He was over the top, full of sleaze, but at the same time, there was no denying that everything below her waist was hanging on his every move with an eager heat. "I've had enough tonight."

"Another time then, darling," He winked and held out his glass. "Guess I'll just have to settle with drinking alone and thinkin' all about you."

"Guess so," She answered cheekily as she managed to flutter her eyes before a bark from the other side of the bar reluctantly pulled her away.

* * *

Kat was perched on a chair in the corner of Sharon's office as she counted out the contents of both lock boxes onto the small end table. She shook her head in utter astonishment at the sheer amount of money there was. Claire had been working for six hours, and there had to easily be 2,000 quid in fives and tens, and that didn't count the mountain of coins and the occasional twenty.

She let out a deep breath of pride at what her new little recruit had accomplished on her first night, and looked over her shoulder at Sharon who was staring out the one way, floor to ceiling mirror that looked out onto the main floor of the club with her hands behind her back. From her vantage point, she could see everything, and more importantly every_one_.

"There's almost two grand here, and she's just standing there doing what comes natural," Kat said. "I can't imagine when she actually gets a game going. She's going to make a fortune."

"_I'll_ make a fortune," Sharon corrected her, "If she stays smart and does what she's supposed to. But you know these young, pretty things Kitty; they are like darling little lambs walking amongst the wolves, and it doesn't take long for a filthy fucking mongrel to come stiffing around for blood."

Kat turned around at the change in her tone and the venom that dripped from it. She met her blazing green eyes and stood up, walking to the window and staring down at the bar where Claire was working alone. Her fists clenched when she noticed _him_, sitting at the corner side, perched with a cigarette in his fingers and staring at her with an eye to kill. It was fucking Freddie Jackson.

"Take care of that, Kitty," Sharon said darkly.

"You know he's with Ozzy now," Kat said tentatively. "From what I've been hearing around the place since he's been out, he was his little pet protégé while he was inside._ Actually_ I heard he just started in again with Siddy Clancy and your good mate, Patricia. Supposedly she's managing some of Ozzy's interests lately."

Sharon laughed sweetly, and it always sent shivers up Kat's spine. "Oh, little Patti's all grown up now and thinks she wants to play with the big girls I bet. We'll see about that. And as for Ozzy, I don't care if he fucking sucked him off while he was in there, this is my place, and I will have things as I see fit. It wouldn't be the first time I've had to castrate one of the strays he's picked up and adopted. But he always forgives me in the end."

They both watched as Freddie lifted a hand and crooked his finger to get Claire's attention for another drink. Kat shook her head, "I think that's my cue to get down there."

"Good girl," Sharon nodded.

* * *

"You know, you look like a princess," Freddie said as he reached his hand out to just touch the free-hanging hair that was down past her elbows, twirling it between his fingers while she poured him another drink.

Claire blushed again and rolled her eyes playfully, "So is this when you are going to tell me that you are Prince Charming come to take me away from all of this?"

"Nah," He grinned with an exaggerated exhale, "Girl like you, you need a king to take care of you. Give you _everything_ you need."

Claire couldn't control the shiver at the way he looked at her crotch again, before licking his lips and brushing her bare arm with just the barest touch of his fingertips.

"Yeah, don't think she wants anything you have to give her, Freddie," Kat's voice suddenly came from over her shoulder and Claire jumped as she turned around to look at her, and the pissed off look on her face. "Crabs and the clap won't really help her all that much."

Claire watched as his eyes darkened for a moment and his jaw worked in a click before he smiled again, this time a sarcastic glee filling his voice. "You would know you probably gave it to me, Pussy Kat."

Kat's eyes narrowed, "Kiss my arse, Freddie."

"Already did that, darling, remember? Right before I painted it nice and white."

Claire actually stepped back as Kat turned to him with a sweet smile, "They must have loved that pretty mouth of yours in prison, you must have been everyone's favorite little toy."

"Yeeeaah," He said darkly. "I'd pull back there Pussy Kat before I put a leash and collar on you. Or does Sharon still keep a tight one on you? I could go ask her, tell her Ozzy says 'hello'."

"Stay away from Cherry here before I have to get nasty," She snarled as she leaned over the bar and got into his face. "Consider that your one warning from Sharon. Because if I catch you sniffing around her, I will personally cut off your balls and feed them to you."

Freddie sat back in his chair and laughed, "But _Claire _and I were having a nice talk. She's such a sweet girl all the way from Boston, did you know that?"

Kat frowned and shot a nasty look at Claire that made her flinch. "Don't get smart, Freddie, I like you just the way you are," She snapped at him before she literally snatched Claire by the arm and tossed her to the other side of the bar. "And look at that, looks like you are cut off for the night Freddie, been a real pleasure having you here. Ta-ta."

He drained his glass of whiskey with a vicious stare and extinguished his cigarette on the bar top before standing up and adjusting his coat, pulling out a wad of bills and tossing some down. He walked out without a word, but making sure that he made eye contact with Claire before he left, giving one more lazy smile and a wink before he slid on his mirrored sunglasses and turned away.

Claire tried not to look, she really did, but she couldn't help but stare at his body. He wasn't overly tall, maybe only a couple inches taller than her flat footed, but he was built. She could tell even under his coat he was solid and sculpted from a life full of danger, muscled from doing stuff, not just useless exercises for show…and _God_, the way his pants hung, he had the most sinfully tight ass she'd ever seen.

A sudden vision flashed behind her eyes and she saw herself in her bed, lying with her legs splayed wide open, both hands clutching onto that perfect round muscle with eager palmfulls as he fucked her into the mattress and she screamed out her pleasure. Because she just knew...he'd be amazing.

"You and I are going to have a little talk later." Kat's voice was low in her ear and Claire actually jumped before she turned to look at her with a nod.

* * *

By the time two am rolled around, whatever mood that Kat was in had mellowed out some, but Claire was wagering that the shots she was taking helped with that. Also the fact that when she finally stood up on a stool behind the bar and screamed, "Get the fuck outta my bar! See you tomorrow." She was laughing.

She was also smiling when she asked for everyone to turn in their tips so they could be counted out and divvied up. Claire didn't miss the way the dancer Gina shot her a nasty look as she stared at the huge pile of money that she pulled out of her halter top. Apparently it was all put into a pool and everyone was given a cut based on where they worked and how well Sharon, via Kat's opinion, thought that they performed.

Of course they both took a cut right off the top.

But she really couldn't complain at all when she was handed and envelope with over 300 pounds in it. She was beaming, and again didn't miss Gina's nasty hiss of the word, "cunt" under her breath.

Claire got the feeling that Kat was going to be a little while longer and she looked over to see poor Holly, even more disheveled than when she arrived, and she froze when she saw her nursing a red mark on her cheek.

"Are you okay, Holly?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, some arse slapped me for laughing at him in the middle of it. Sad part was I wasn't, but I probably should have." She answered.

"They can do that? They shouldn't be allowed to do that," She said wincing at the angry red mark, "Aren't there rules?"

Holly snorted, "Yeah, they pay, I fuck, those are the rules."

"You should tell Kat."

"And lose money when she takes me to the clinic? No, that's what cover up powder is for." She paused and looked up at her with a small, timid smile. "Thanks for caring though. No one's said anything that nice to me in a long time."

Claire smiled and tried to hide the grimace inside, she didn't think anything she said was anything more than would have been said out of plain human decency, and she felt so terrible that this girl, who looked like she was hooked on everything and fighting a losing battle with all of it, had no one to help her…who even cared.

Was that going to happen to her someday if she stayed alone?

She suddenly needed some air, and she leaned to Holly, "I'm gonna step outside and have a cigarette, I'll wait for you and Kat."

"Okay."

Claire walked to grab her purse and the coat that Kat let her borrow, then to the door. She smiled up at the huge, hulking form of Matty who was standing there like a guard dog, "Just be right out the door having a smoke." He nodded, and she took that as permission.

She stepped out into the cool night air and actually shivered as her bare legs were completely exposed. She rifled through her big purse and pulled out her cigarette pack, tapping out one and letting it hang from her lips as she dug around for her lighter. She had her head half buried in the bag when suddenly the metal clink of a lighter opening startled her and she was left staring in shock at the face of Freddie Jackson with a lighter sparked up right next to her.

"Need a light, Princess?" He said with a smile.

"Actually, yes," She said as she leaned in and he cupped the end of her cigarette around the flame. "Thank you."

"You gonna need a ride home tonight?" He asked as he stepped closer to her, reaching out to touch the hair resting over her shoulder and twirling it in his fingers again. "Don't want to leave a pretty thing like you alone in a city like this, never know what's lurkin' around."

"Yeah, you just proved your point," Kat said with a nasty sneer as she walked out with Holly in tow. "Come on, Claire."

Freddie just smirked and Claire turned away with a flirty smile, "Night, Freddie."

* * *

Claire waved goodbye as Kat physically helped Holly to her door and made sure that the door was locked before she climbed back into the car and lit a cigarette.

"I feel so bad for her," Claire said quietly. "All that stuff is going to kill her."

Kat nodded, "That's the East End for you Cherry, it ain't pretty, and more and more end up like her every day. Sure it's no different in America."

"No, it's still sad though. I wish I could help."

She took a drag off her cigarette and scoffed, "Well, you better worry about yourself. Made a new friend tonight, didn't you; with your real name and everything."

"Sounded like he's not a stranger to you," Claire said, surprised at the sarcasm that spilled out of her lips.

Kat quirked a brow at her lip and laughed, "Yeah, me and good ol' Freddie Jackson go way back. I've known him since before he got nicked and went away four years ago. Just got out last week actually, and for your information, because I saw you panting like a bitch in heat starin' at him, he's hung like a horse and fucks like a dynamo. He'll also mount anything with tits that walks past him. He's fucked six of the girls at Foxx's this week alone, one after another like a little slag train. And he's married too, you know, with two little girls. His wife is just a _little_ better off than Holly there, a right drunk fucked mess, she is, and from what I hear she's knocked up again. So that's who you gave your name to."

"I wasn't under the impression he was a saint," Claire said, "You can tell he's a complete sleazeball, I was just talking to him for something to do, and you know for a _tip_."

"Here's a tip for you, don't talk to him. He's a snake, that's what he does. He worms his way right in and before you know it you are face down in the gutter while he's stepping on your back to move on. You're his fuckin' wet dream, Cherry, and he's not going to stop. Bloody arse is cancer. He's a psycho, druggie, user, he'll chew you up and spit you right out, and I don't want to see that happen to you."

Claire stared at her fingernails; it wasn't like she didn't know plenty of guys like Freddie back home. Seamus was just like him…and she handled him just fine. In fact she had him wrapped right around her little finger. "So, what happened between the two of you?"

Kat laughed loudly, "Mmm, Freddie doesn't like a bitch with a big mouth and mind of her own- didn't end well. That, and I grew up and realized he was fuckin' loser."

Claire chuckled at her reply and Kat turned to face her with a smile, "Just promise me you'll watch yourself around him, Cherry."

"I promise," She answered. "Cross my heart."

"Ain't your heart I'm worried about chicken, keep those _legs_ crossed." Kat added with a stern point of her finger.

* * *

Kat dropped her off and waited until she unlocked the outside door to her building before she pulled away. Claire waved, and she was just about to turn around and walk into the hall when she heard the sound of a car door closing close by. She turned around to see a small blue car, and there, leaning against it in his leather jacket, and devilish smile was Freddie.

She knew that she should have walked into the building and ignored him. There were so many reasons. The least of which were the ones that she'd learned from Kat. He was married, with kids, a druggie criminal who whored around the East End…and yet she couldn't stop the way her entire body hummed with electricity when she knew he'd waited outside for the club just to get her attention…and followed her home for more.

"Hello, Freddie," She called out with a smile. "Did you follow me to make sure that I made it home safe?"

He pushed off the car and sauntered across the street, climbing the brick stairs with a bounce before he stopped right in front of her. "Course I did, babe, don't trust anyone to do it but me."

He leaned his hand against the door behind her and brought his body closer, until she could smell the generic sort of male cologne and deodorant that he was wearing. The scent never was something she even thought about being remotely attractive before, or even noticed it truth be told. But somehow, right now, it had her heart racing and she actually kept her hand with her key in it up against her chest as some sort of defense.

Because right now he was looking at her with blatant lust in his eyes, slowly chewing on something that she could tell was spearmint gum by the way the little puffs of breath that tumbled out of his lush, decadent mouth smelled like; and she knew then that Kat was right about him. He could get anything he wanted from her despite everything she knew.

She swallowed hard and cleared her throat, "Well, I'm here, safe and sound."

Freddie lifted his hand to touch her hair again, winding it up around his finger and bringing to his face to take a deep breath, "You sure, Princess? We should check your flat, you know, in the closet, under the bed and all that. Want to make sure that you are safe."

Claire's eyebrow arched at his gall, "I'm on the second floor, pretty sure the locks on my door work just fine."

He shrugged and reached into his pocket, pulling out a wad of bills and flipping out a fifty before replacing the money. He folded it neatly and brushed it against her nose and lips slowly tracing it down over her chin to her hand that was still held up where he offered the bill. "There's your tip, never did get to treat you like you deserve tonight."

"Thanks, but it's too much."

"Ain't even close to enough." Freddie grinned as he took her hand and kissed the knuckles like he was in some sort of old movie, though Claire was pretty sure those guys didn't have sex and sin in their eyes...and when she felt the warm swipe of his tongue for just the barest second, she couldn't stop the way she bit her lip coyly.

He dropped her hand and stepped back, "Sweet dreams, Princess, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night," She managed to say as he walked back to Jimmy's car. Claire watched them drive off before she walked into the hall and up to her flat, wondering if he'd come back...then thinking to herself that she might have actually wanted him to.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Okay, normally insert long note here, but I am in a rush to get this out...so it is rough as hell...and there is a lot in here that is **_**really**_** going to be important as the story takes shape...so please read between the lines. **

**This has like zero editing...so I will definitely be touching up later...but...my darling sarah7170, I knew you needed a little Freddie...so here you are.**

**Please read and review, loves...PLEASE?! **

* * *

Claire woke up the next morning just before eleven with a better feeling than she'd had in a very long time. She smiled at the thought that right now there was three hundred bucks in an envelope under her bed beneath a loose floorboard.

She had her rent money for the next month already paid for. It was such an unimaginable weight off her shoulders that she couldn't help but feel as giddy as a school girl. She sighed with a huge smile as she stood up and stretched, not caring in the least that she was standing in front of her second floor window in nothing but an oversized red t-shirt and a pair of plain, white men's underwear.

Her stomach growled and she looked over at the old bureau that was at the corner of her room and the folded fifty pound note that was sitting on top next to her purse and her key. It was the money that Freddie had given her last night.

She didn't want to keep it.

Well, not that she didn't want to keep it, she definitely wanted the money, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt what it meant if she spent it. He'd given it to her as a specific gesture to test the waters, it was to see what she wanted from him…and if she didn't give it back…he'd take it as a sign that she was welcoming _whatever _he wanted to give to her. It was a free pass that she was interested.

It was a simple thing that she'd watched her father do many, many times to women while she was growing up. Of course he'd tried to hide it, a mistress doesn't belong near the family, but she'd been a nosy child and probably saw more than he had ever intended.

She made a face as she picked up the bill and stared at it; she really needed to do her laundry, she was down to almost nothing clean to wear, and she _was _starving. Maybe she could just use the money for that and then pay him back tonight. She'd definitely have the tips that it wouldn't even phase her.

Another loud rumble from her stomach basically made the decision for her. She walked into the tiny bathroom and turned on the water. It was little more than a leaky sink, a toilet with a permanent rust ring from hard water, and an old clawfoot tub with a shower sprayer in a ten foot square room, no bigger than a closet. She shook her head as she stripped down and climbed into the enclosed space, trying not to remember the opulent jacuzzi tub that she used to soak in for hours at home.

Maybe it wouldn't be a terrible thing for her have a nice male benefactor for a little while. It sure beat living like this.

* * *

Claire dressed in her last relatively clean outfit, a puffy white cable knit sweater and a really short cutoff denim skirt that she normally didn't wear out if she wasn't going out to a club. She didn't even have a pair of leggings that were clean enough to wear so she settled on just throwing on her black ballet flats to make the walk more comfortable.

She pulled her long hair up into a ponytail, and then braided it before she put on just a little eyeliner, mascara and lip gloss. It really didn't serve for her to get all dolled up now when she was just going to have to do it again in another couple of hours. After all Kat had said that she would be at her house to pick her up for "quarter of five on the fucking dot", so she wanted to make sure that she was ready to go on time.

She stared at the pile of dirty clothes at the end of her bed and she grabbed her purple duffle bag that she'd jammed with clothes when she left home, figuring it was the next best thing she had to a laundry bag. Although she could count the number of times on one hand that she'd ever done her laundry...and she'd never really been to a Laundromat either, so today was definitely going to be a day of firsts.

But as Claire slid on her black Ray Ban sunglasses, grabbed her purse and her key, tossing the duffle over her back, she smiled with the realization that it couldn't be all that hard to figure out. People worse off than her managed to do simple things like laundry every day.

* * *

It was sunny and gorgeous out, and Claire smiled graciously at the older woman who she'd asked directions to and told her that the "Launderette" was just three blocks up and two streets over. She was staring straight ahead, trying to learn the streets around her when suddenly a car pulled alongside and a sharp whistle pierced her thoughts and made her snap her head to the right.

She couldn't stop rolling her blue eyes as she stared at Freddie Jackson leaning his arms on the open windowsill of the same blue car she'd seen last night. It only took a quick glance to see that it was Jimmy who was driving. They were literally creeping along next to her and he grinned at her playfully as he spoke. "Morning Pretty Princess, what are you doin' out this early?"

She shook her head and stared at her reflection in his mirrored aviators, but she kept walking slowly. "Well, Freddie, it's after twelve, so it's not the morning, and I'm walking to get something to eat because I'm starving, and to do my laundry." She couldn't help the flirtatious tone in her voice, "Why, what does it look like I'm doing?"

Freddie smiled again and stared at her, "You look about a minute from 'causin' a car wreck with those long legs. Ain't a man that's gonna be able to stop himself from takin' a good look."

Claire laughed and couldn't hide the blush on her cheeks, "That's what the laundry is for, I'm afraid I'm just down to this to wear today."

She looked up as she saw him turn around and say something to Jimmy before he hopped out of the car and walked over to her with his hands in his pockets. Falling into step with her as he leaned over, his full lips brushing against her ear and the whiff of spearmint gum filling her nose, "Just down to that skirt? You mean that?"

Claire shivered and his husky words slithered through her ear like a devilish wave of thick, warm honey. Her heart rate fluttered and a small tingle began between her legs when the question finally registered. "I'm wearing panties." She managed to say with much less conviction than she wanted. She should have been disgusted, but when he reached behind her to rest his hand on her waist and pull her close, she didn't pull away.

"Naughty girl," He smirked against her ear, "You sure that was what I was askin'?"

She tried to get control of her head to say something back to him, and she was actually stunned when he reached across her again to grab her heavy duffle bag of clothes so that he could carry it.

"What are you doing?"

"Behaving like my Mum would expect," Freddie replied. "Jimmy's gonna take a drive around for a while, and you and me are gonna get this dropped off to be washed and fill that perfect tummy of yours."

* * *

Freddie's head was buzzing, and for once it really had very little to do with the coke that he'd had for breakfast this morning. He'd actually gotten up before noon, taken a shower and called Jimmy because he was still thinking about the pretty fucking red-haired princess he'd seen the night before.

He'd just kissed her hand, let his tongue come out and barely touch the skin on her knuckles...and the feel of her had been better than the best hit of blow he'd ever had. She was soft and smooth, and if her hands felt like that, what would the rest of her feel like? It had been just the smallest taste...and he spent the rest of the night doing something that he hadn't done of his own free will since he was a bloody teenager- discounting his recent stay inside, of course- he'd actually jerked off over the toilet at home thinking about her.

Jackie'd been up and asking for it, but he just couldn't deal with her at the moment. He didn't want to see her sloppily bent over in front of him, hearing her faking her moans and pretending that she still wanted him, like he was still pretending he wanted her. Even the small hope that whatever they were having was going to finally be a son for him didn't help with any of it.

Because the only thing he could see when he closed his eyes was those crystal blue eyes, and all that red hair.

* * *

They walked a few blocks to the simple store front of the Launderette and Freddie sauntered in, taking one look at the clerk behind the counter before he tossed up her bag and pulled his glasses down his nose as he stared at the old man. "I wanna get this done in two hours for this pretty thing here. You can make that work for me, yeah?"

He stared at him for a long pause and cleared his throat, "We've got a lot today, a bit backed up, don't know if I can promise that."

Freddie's jaw clicked and Claire caught it instantly, smiling and actually cutting him off before he could speak. "That's alright, sir, I don't need two hour service, just as long as I have it by four."

The man's eyes darted over to Freddie who was stone faced and snapping his gum before moving back over to her. "I can certainly have it by four, Miss, maybe even three."

"Thank you," She said sweetly. "What will I owe you?"

"Should be about five pounds, Miss."

Freddie dug into his pocket and slapped down a ten before smiling at the man, his normal jovial grin had been twisted into something sinister. "Two hours. Shouldn't be a problem at all now, should it?"

The man shook his head and he nodded with another smile as he turned to the door and gestured for her to walk out. Claire followed and waited until they got out to the street before she frowned. "You didn't need to talk to him like that, he was doing the best he could; and I can pay my own way. I have money."

Freddie shrugged with a sheepish look as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Sorry 'bout that, but you gotta talk to these people here a certain way or nothin' gets done like it should." He took a long drag and puffed out a cloud of smoke before he smiled playfully, "But, you ain't paying while I'm around Princess. You deserve the best this city has to offer, and I'm gonna show it all to you. You and me are gonna eat like royalty today."

Claire rolled her eyes as he hailed a cab and opened the door for her like a gentleman, big smile and all. "Come, on, you can trust me."

There were a million reasons that she should have stayed on the sidewalk and gone to the little fish and chip place for lunch down the road like she had gone with Kat yesterday. But it was curiosity and the funny flutter of her heart and throb between her thighs that had her ignoring everything that she knew to be better and sliding across the seat of the taxi before he jumped in next to her and slid the door closed.

She made sure to cross her legs for modesty, which didn't matter one bit with the ridiculous skirt that she was wearing, and after he instructed the driver to head off to Harrods, he let his hand rest right on the top of her exposed thigh. Claire tried not to move as her heart raced, feeling the heat of his palm as it touched her skin, the weight of the jewelry that he was wearing, and the way his fingers covetously curled around her leg, shamelessly close to touching her lace clad center.

Without thinking she chanced a look over at him and he was watching her intently, his eyes hidden by his sunglasses as he leaned over to the side of her face, breathing deep and nuzzling her neck before he spoke in her ear. "I'm gonna spoil you today, babe. I promise to give you _whatever_ you want."

Claire thanked God for the cover of her sunglasses as her eyes closed and a very, very small pant of breath puffed out of her lips. She tried to remember Kat's warning about him, about the kind of man that he was…but it all was silenced when she felt the plush softness of his lips graze against her temple in the barest kiss.

The only thing left was his promise in her ear… that he was going to let her have everything she wanted…everything she missed so desperately.

* * *

The last time she'd been to Harrod's she was a fresh faced eighteen year old right out of high school. Her father had sent her on a two week trip to London and Paris with her cousin Maryssa Doyle. They'd rented out a gorgeous flat in Kensington that overlooked Hyde Park, and she'd spent so much cash on designer clothes and shoes that there was actually almost an issue with her father and the IRS when she had to declare her purchases when she came back through customs.

But of course at the time her father and Whitey Bulger himself were on very good working terms…so it only took one call to the FBI and…boom, she was clear to go.

She stared at the massive building that stretched and entire city block and couldn't stop smiling like a little girl again. It had been months since she'd been shopping…and the spring designers had already debuted all the lines…it was just what she needed.

Freddie didn't miss her beaming excitement either, sliding his arm around her waist again and whispering in her ear as his fingers snuck underneath her voluminous white sweater to play along the waistband of her skirt, stroking the bare skin with a soft pulling caress.

"Let's get you something nice and gorgeous to wear, and then we'll have a posh little lunch."

"Okay." She whispered as they sauntered in to the sprawling building.

* * *

If there was one thing that Claire had inherited from her mother, it was a love of all things with tags. It wasn't five minutes that they were in the store and she already had five different dresses that she was considering; all lovely floral prints from Calvin Klein, Prada and Chanel. She was a huge fan of bright but classic colors for springtime, and it seemed like that was what everyone else was going for as well.

Freddie was a few racks over, keeping surprisingly quiet as he thumbed through the racks and stacking a few of his own selections in with the pile before they walked over to the dressing room. Claire couldn't help but laugh as he sat right down outside of the dressing room, reclining back on a plush velvet sofa as he put a toothpick in his mouth, like he was waiting for a fashion runway show.

"Now, I wanna see every last one of those, Princess," He said with a smile.

She giggled as she shut the door and stripped down, fishing out one of the simpler ones, a very conservative white dress with red flowers that fell mid-thigh with little cap sleeves and a modest neckline. And although it didn't show a lot of skin, it hugged her tiny figure perfectly.

Just for added effect, she unbraided her long hair, it had dried from the shower and after a little fluff it hung in a perfect cherry colored cascade down her back. After touching up on her lip gloss and mascara, she finally opened the door and sashayed out to him barefoot.

Claire watched as his entire body tensed and he sat up to stare at her before he slid off his sunglasses and let his grey eyes rake over her with a look of blatant, debauched, and lusty hunger that wasn't close to being appropriate in the middle of a high-end department store while she was wearing haute couture. It would have fit at Foxx Tails while she was spinning around on one of the poles.

"What do you think?" She asked softly, almost shy.

Freddie merely lifted up his hand and made a gesture for her to spin slowly. Claire obeyed, making sure to arch her back to give her little round ass a lift, and push out her breasts. She glanced over her shoulder to shoot him a questioning look, and was nearly mortified with embarrassment when he grabbed his crotch and shifted in his seat, letting a visible tenting show in the front of his pants.

He let a sly smile curl his lips as he lounged with his arms resting on the back of the sofa, "Why don't you show me the next one, babe."

* * *

Claire pranced out in six or seven different dresses, ones that she'd picked that were cute, sexy, and in style, and ones that Freddie had picked that made her look like a hooker...well, maybe a hooker wouldn't spend five hundred pounds on a dress- a high-class escort anyhow.

His favorite had been a strapless gold lame mini dress that barely covered her ass and was literally painted on. He grinned like a boy in a candy store and nodded eagerly as he chewed on his toothpick. "That's what I'm talkin' about, babe."

She shook her head and simply laughed, turning around and walking back in with a shake of her ass. There was no way in hell she was sitting a restaurant in this building wearing that dress.

The final selection, that he'd been pleased with was a plain black mini-dress with a trim of floral pattern on the hem, with long sleeves with the same design at the bottom. The back was cut low, exposing her back almost down to her waist, and she had to fold her bra up with her clothes, thankful that the dress had a built in set of cups.

Freddie had snapped off the tag, and insisted she find a high pair of shiny red stiletto pumps that matched her hair, and the trim of her dress, before he sauntered up for the register and paid for the entire thing in cash, making a small dent in the wad of bills he had. The clerk had simply watched him with a wary eye and offered to bag up Claire's clothes so she could carry them more easily.

She felt absolutely indulgent, and she could give a shit. She fucking loved it. She loved every minute of it.

For the first time since she literally ran, terrified from her home with everything that she could pack in her suitcase, she was Claire McSheehy again, and it felt amazing.

Her stomach let out a loud rumble as they walked out of the store back to the main concourse and Freddie looked at her with a shocked and comical look on his face, "What's all that noise outta you, then?"

She blushed as she bit her lip, walking with a swing in her hip as he put his hand back around her and held her to his body, his fingers splaying wide on her hip. "I'm starving," She confessed. "I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon."

He shook his head, he never really had much of an appetite. The cocaine had a lot to do with that- then again, fuckin' Jackie's pathetic attempts at cooking were probably just as much to blame. She could barely boil water, and most nights dinner was out of a box or the microwave he'd made sure to buy her the second day he was home. The only time he actually ate was when his Mum had him over for a meal, usually to cry about his piece of shit father, or like last night at two am when Jimmy cooked chicken curry.

But for some reason it really bothered him that something as perfect as Claire had gone hungry. That wasn't for her. She deserved whatever she wanted served to her off a golden plate whenever she wanted without lifting a fucking finger.

"Told you Princess, whatever you want today."

She shrugged, "I don't know. Some place you can see the city."

"Got just the place."

* * *

The Terrace was on the fourth floor of the sprawling building, and Claire was awe struck at the elegance of the place. It's open glass windows that showed a panoramic view of central London, white linen table cloths, white plush chairs and real silverware on the table. It was absolutely gorgeous.

Of course, she didn't miss the way the host's eyes nearly bugged out of his upper crust and snobbish face when Freddie sauntered up and asked for a table for two.

Claire actually froze with nerves for a moment, scared to death with the way that Freddie had been with the guy at the laundry place. It was obvious that he was a drug dealer from the East End standing in the middle of the creme de la creme of London...but he completely shocked her when his voice was calm, and soothing almost. Playing his manners perfectly. It was like nothing she'd seen from him before.

They were taken to a table off to the corner that had a beautiful view, and he pulled her chair out for her like a gentleman, before sitting down across from her and ordering a bottle of vintage champagne.

He winked at her as she flipped open her menu and stared at the pages of different options. They apparently served breakfast all day, which was interesting, but there was also sandwiches, seafood, salads, steak...it was worse than being hungry, she almost had too much to choose from.

"What are you getting?" She asked quietly, staring over the top of her menu at his grey eyes, that were darting back and forth. She noticed that they were clear, whatever cocaine he'd obviously taken earlier was long gone, and she was curious just how long he let himself stay like that. Seamus hadn't stayed sober for more than five minutes...then again, that was why he was rotting behind bars. He'd never been able to see the real picture, of how he could have risen up to sit at the top.

"Been waitin' for a steak for four years, so probably that, what about you?"

"Um, actually that sounds really good, I love red meat."

She didn't miss the quirk at the corner of his full lips, and rolled her eyes at the way he definitely was going with that. But he didn't say anything as the waiter nervously approached, and once again, he behaved with impeccable manners as he let her order, and ordered himself, before letting him pour them each a flute of champagne and leaving the towel wrapped bottle in a standing bucket.

Freddie lifted his glass and smiled, "This is to you, Babe, enjoy."

"Thanks," She said as she blushed and took a sip, savoring the bubbly sweetness that rushed right to her head thanks to her empty stomach.

He leaned back in his chair and stared at her with a sideways look and a slow grin, "So what's new from Boston my pretty Claire with red-hair. Don't you Yanks hate us? Tossed some tea or somethin', right?"

She laughed and took another sip of her drink, "We did toss tea in the harbor two hundred years ago and chased you red coats out of town. But don't take offense, we have a bad attitude about anyone not from Boston."

Freddie nodded, "Yeah, see I listened in school. Boston Tea Party. So, other than that, why you here all alone in the East End, girl like you don't belong there."

Claire drained the rest of her glass and he poured her another one for her as her stomach began to flutter nervously. She didn't want to talk about this with him. It was fine to play with Freddie Jackson...but he wasn't getting in her head and knowing all her dirty little secrets. So she licked her lips and employed some of that coy skill she knew so well, "I wanted to take a little vacation is all, I was tired of the scenery and wanted something new."

He paused for a long moment and really stared at her, and she felt like she was being stripped apart layer by layer. "Come on now, babe, that's all a fuckin' lie. Here I am payin' out my nose for you, a little honesty would be appreciated."

His voice was low and hard, and it was authoritative enough that it completely snapped her confidence and she looked at him and felt like she had with Kat the night before. Like these people were like wolves and she was a sheep hiding with a wolf pelt on just trying not to be torn apart.

So she settled for a version of the truth with an angry set to her jaw, hating that she was reduced to feeling like this. "My father was shot three months ago and I had to run away, so I am here with no money and nothing to my name. I met Kat yesterday and now I have a job, that better?"

Freddie was taken back as he looked at her, seeing a fire and personality in her ice blue eyes. Someone who hated her life and knew that she was made for better. He knew that fucking feeling so well...it was burning in his gut right now. The difference came when he looked across the table at her, looking like a posh princess, her napkin on her lap, and her pale slender fingers delicate on her crystal glass. Her back was straight, and she'd done it all without even thinking.

Because she belonged here. Even now while the little rich waiter looked at him like a rabid, mongrel dog, he knew that if he wasn't sitting here and Claire was all alone, she'd look like she belonged here. She was a woman like he never even knew they made. A snarking laugh curled his lip, he couldn't even take Jackie to a place like this when she was sober. Even all dressed up she'd still be what she was.

But Claire, now that was something he could see sitting by him as he rose up to take control of Ozzy's world in the East End. She'd be right at home in a huge house in Kensington, with a Mercedes in the garage, a nice fur coat. She'd be someone he would come home to ride raw every night, not stopping until her belly was nice and full with his son.

"Well," He said switching gears with a smile, "You ain't gonna worry about none of that, you're a princess, pretty girl, and you are gonna be treated like one from now on."

She tried to roll her eyes, but she just smiled instead, remembering their conversation from the past night. "Are you _sure_ you aren't going to say you're Prince Charming? Sounds like it."

"Nah, Babe," He said with a wink, leaning back as the waiter showed up with their food, "Told you that you need a King to take care of all you need."

* * *

Originally Claire had hoped for leftovers. Because she was eating a 12oz steak with whipped mashed potatoes and a decadent sauce made from some kind of sherry and roasted tomatoes with some sort of bitter green. But she ate every last morsel of it. She made sure to stand on ceremony like a lady, with small dainty bites, even as Freddie didn't seem bothered with them at all. He simply tucked his napkin into his shirt and cleaned his plate in five minutes like it was going to be his last meal.

They also polished off the bottle of champagne and most of another, before he sat back with a sigh, wiping his mouth and slumping back against the back of the chair, a slightly tipsy look on his face as his hand rubbed his belly. "Now that's how a man's supposed to eat. Only two things I want now, well, three."

Claire wiped her mouth as she properly placed her silverware to be cleared, "What would that be?"

"A smoke, a nice place to put up my feet," He paused and looked at her as his eyes went back to that lecherous stare as he licked his lips, "And something nice and sweet to eat."

She flushed instantly, blaming the two bottles of French wine, and trying to ignore the fact that her lower body was heating up like a molten wave, instantly dampening her lace panties with want. "Oh." Was all she said.

Freddie seemed to relish her obvious arousal as he sat up and spun around the watch on his hand, "But it's getting late, Princess, it's already three, and I bet you gotta get home soon."

Her eyes widened instantly as she realized she had an hour and forty-five minutes before Kat would be at her door for work. "Oh my God, yeah, we have to get going."

Freddie dropped the cash for lunch and they walked out of Harrods into a waiting cab.

* * *

Claire sat in the back of the taxi as her head swam with bubbly champagne and the satisfaction of being completely full. Freddie stopped off quick to grab her laundry before dropping her off at her door, making the cabbie wait as he walked her up to her door. She leaned up against it and he wasted no time stepping into her personal space, his large hands splaying out on her hips as he let them wander back towards her ass as he pulled her against his body.

She stared into his eyes, feeling a little drunk, and completely lost as she stared at his lips. She wasn't supposed to want this, but it was so close...and when she felt an unmistakable hardness pressed against the crux of her thighs thanks to her heels. She could do nothing but whimper weakly.

The little lamb in the disguise was in the claws of the alpha wolf himself.

"Thank you for the dress, and the shoes, and lunch," She said stupidly. Freddie didn't respond, he simply leaned in and took her mouth with his.

It was like nothing else she'd felt in her life. His tongue was bold and aggressive and dominant...he didn't kiss he claimed. And as Claire reached up to take two handfuls of his leather jacket to steady herself, she let him claim her. He opened his mouth to take her deeper, his lush lips devouring hers and leaving them both panting when he finally pulled away a moment later as his palms finally grasped her ass tightly.

His lips hovered over hers as he groaned in a husky whisper, "Fuck, Princess, you got me harder than I've ever been in my life. I wanna give you everything, I'll go 'till we're both deaf, blind and dumb from it."

She could actually feel the wetness between her legs leaking out and smearing against her thighs. She wanted him so bad she could taste it, worse than she'd ever wanted anything in her life. It was the only thing she could think of as she desperately kissed him again.

She didn't care that Kat was coming to get her, she wanted him right now, fuck it all. He ground himself against her in one slow roll, showing the entire length of his cock, making her shamelessly moan out loud. She wanted to tell him to come upstairs, because she knew it would take him just five minutes to get her to come...

But instead he suddenly let her go and stepped away, leaving her leaning in foolishly for his mouth again, like a starving person looking for the succulent meal they had been eating. She opened her eyes to see him grin at her as he stared at his watch again. "Don't want you to be late for work, now, Kitty Kat and Sharon don't look kindly on that."

Claire felt as if she was thinking at half speed. The lust and alcohol, making her unable to say anything; she just stared as he kissed her forehead and walked slowly back to the cab. He winked at her as he opened the door, "Maybe I'll see you tonight, pretty Claire, never know."

The cab drove off, and she finally snapped out of it. She actually shook her head back and forth before she looked down at herself and realized that she was in a brand new designer dress from Harrods in four inch fuck me pumps _and_ she'd spent the entire day on a bizarre date with Freddie Jackson who spent a small fortune on her.

But it all came crashing down when she realized that it was almost four-thirty and she needed to get her goddamn ass in gear or she was going to be screwed, because there was no way Kat wasn't going to know something was up. She unlocked the door and ran up the stairs, what the hell had she gotten herself into?


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: So...yeaaaah. Um, I want to start off by saying I wrote this all today in about half the time it takes me to normally do a chapter...I don't know what that says about me really. **

**Sigh.**

**Ahem. So here's some Freddie and Claire for you...and I have to warn this probably reeks of NSFW and is full of language...and Freddie's questionable thought process when it comes to courtship and attraction...**

**Anyway...as my itty bitty baby sister said after taking down a bag of double stuff Oreos during a Hardy movie marathon, "Don't judge me!" : )**

**To dear Sarah, I got it done just for you : )**

**Please excuse any typos or lazy grammar, I wanna post...so there...**

* * *

Claire flew up the stairs to her apartment, running in and flinging her bag of laundry onto her bed and tossing the Harrod's bag with her old clothes in it into the corner of the room before she very gently stepped out of her beautiful dress and folded it neatly putting the delicate fabric into the top drawer of the old bureau.

She didn't want to take it off, she felt gorgeous in it, and she really wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the afternoon wearing it…or not wearing it…with Freddie in her bed doing any number if the wicked things that were swirling in his grey eyes.

But she didn't have the luxury. Instead she dug through her laundry bag and fished out her bright red suede mini-skirt and black halter top, with a black strapless bra it gave her chest a huge lift…and the outfit went incredible with her brand new shoes. She was admiring herself in the mirror when a pounding noise came from her door.

She tentatively walked over to open it, nearly falling on her ass when Kat ran in and made a b-line for her bathroom, not bothering to close the door all the way as she sat on the toilet to pee.

"Oh, _bloody hell_, sorry about that Cherry, I was gonna piss myself," She sighed with relief, "Too much tea."

Claire smiled as she finished and flushed the toilet, washing her hands and following her to her bedroom door as she quickly applied her heavy black eyeliner, thick mascara and smoky shadow before finishing with a deep red lip. The blonde crossed her arms, pushing up her large breasts in the skin tight black tube dress she was wearing, her sharp eyes honing in on the bag in the corner of the room.

"So, saw some of the sights in London-town today, eh?" She asked pointedly.

Claire made a face in the mirror, "What?"

"You were broke as fuck yesterday, and now here you are shopping at Harrods like Princess Di, must be nice is all I'm sayin'. How'd you swing that? Or did you have a nice sleazy little tour guide to help you out?"

She froze for a minute, her blue eyes catching the other woman's reflection in the mirror with a hard stare. Who was she to ask her questions like that? She didn't own her? She was free to go where she wanted, when she wanted, with whomever the fuck she wanted.

Her eyebrow rose and the one of her voice was not mistaken at all to be anything but sarcastic, "Yeah, I think I can figure out how to get there by myself thanks, and I wanted to go shopping because I like to shop."

Kat laughed, "Sure, I'm sure he was _great_ company in a high end department store. Got the manners of a pig, that one."

Claire stood up and grabbed her tailored leather coat from the closet where it was hanging. "Well, I'll take your word for it, because I don't know what you are talking about at all."

She shook her head with a sigh, "Oh, Cherry, Cherry, gonna have to learn the hard way aren't you?"

"We're going to be late." Claire said as she grabbed her big purse.

"I'm never late," Kat answered with a smirk as they walked out the door and down to her car. "Remember that."

* * *

Claire was a little surprised to see that the small Escort was already full of people. She recognized poor Holly in the backseat with another cuter blonde, Lizbeth, one of the waitresses she remembered…and scowling at her from the front seat was the dancer Gina.

She walked over and Lizbeth climbed out and smiled quickly at her, gesturing for her to sit in the middle of the cramped backseat. Claire instantly slid over next to Holly who was already drinking out of a bottle in a brown paper bag. Her brown hair was stringy and the little red spot of her cheek from where she'd been slapped was just visible under her caked on makeup.

"Hey, you look so gorgeous," She said earnestly. "You are gonna be so set tonight."

"Thanks," Claire answered quietly.

Lizbeth climbed back in the car and she stared at Claire with an interested eye as Gina turned around in her chair, her brown eyes sharp as she smirked at her. "So how'd you give it to him?" She asked with a taunt in her voice.

Claire's face was as confused as she was, "I have no idea what you mean?"

"I mean, how did you let him fuck you?" She said pointedly. "We all saw you talkin' to Freddie Jackson last night, and he don't end a night without getting' his. So what did you let him do?"

Claire scoffed, "Um, nothing, I didn't sleep with him."

"Yeah, I didn't _sleep_ with him either; he bent me over the shelf in the changing room two nights ago and railed me good. Night before that, Lizzie had him on a back table, we lost count when Holly used to waitress before he went away…and Kat…well, she was in the runnin' to be Mrs. Jackson back in the day, but Jax Summers knocked herself up and got that lucky job."

Claire made a face, "Well, that's good for you all, but he didn't get a thing from me last night."

"Yeah, but I bet you'll have a mouthful of cock tonight," She said with a laugh. "Or are you more the type that wants it somewhere else, maybe that stuck up Yank arse of yours?"

Claire's eyes narrowed, but it was Kat that cut in, "Yeah, G, I'd watch your mouth if I were you, 'cause Lizzie can dance just as good as you can…and I can put you on the floor if you keep it up."

She turned to Kat with a shocked look, "You're sidin' with that slag over us?"

Kat lit a cigarette and exhaled with a snort, "Us? That fat arse of yours big enough to have a voice of its own? 'Cause yours is the only mouth I hear spoutin' off right now."

Gina stared at her and shook her head mumbling under her breath and Claire could already hear that all of it was directed at her. Holly leaned over and raised her bottle so it blocked them from sight, her breath reeking of cheap vodka when she spoke in a slur, "Don't worry about her, she's just jealous of you, 'cause she wanted Freddie last night and he wouldn't even look at her. He's gonna love you though…I bet he ain't ever seen somethin' pretty as you."

Claire didn't know what to say to her, and suddenly the fact that all these women had slept with him left a bad taste in her mouth. But a voice in her head was also quick to remind her that this afternoon he could have done whatever he wanted to her and he didn't. These girls, maybe with the exception of Kat, had been a conquest in a dingy nightclub.

He hadn't spent time with them, he certainly hadn't brought them to Harrod's and dropped more than five hundred pounds on them in a matter of hours…she knew that she was different. He didn't see her the way he saw them.

* * *

Freddie took a cab back to meet Jimmy at the local, strutting through the door to see his cousin chit-chatting with the bartender and nursing a pint. He walked in to a little fan-fare from the regulars and pointed at the bar for his normal glass of whiskey before he headed to the back of the pub and the dingy, disgusting toilet without a word because he needed a minute alone.

He closed the door behind him and wiped his face with his hand, trying to get it to stop racing. It felt like he was buzzing on the most prime coke he'd ever snorted and he hadn't touched the stuff.

It was her.

It was that fucking beautiful princess with all that red hair and the sweetest, tightest little body he'd ever laid eyes on. And just waiting for him when he closed his eyes was his own personal peep-show of her in every single tight dressed she'd pranced around in this afternoon.

There was a black one that hung off one shoulder and then that gold one that was so tight he could see every perfect curve in exquisite detail. He could see her smile, nervous and shy of what he thought, the little gleam of power in her blue eyes when she knew that he liked it, and the wiggle she gave him to let _him_ know that_ she _knew he liked it…

He reached down to lite a cigarette as he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, puffing out a smoke ring as his other hand reached down to palm his aching crotch. He'd been fuckin' hard for_ hours_, since he'd seen her prancing down the sidewalk in that tiny skirt with her long, pale legs just hanging out saying "hello" to him, just begging to be thrown over his shoulders while he made her scream.

He deftly flicked open his belt and slacks with a practiced, one handed move as he pulled his cock free, taking another drag off his cigarette and closing his eyes. He was going to jerk off in a toilet at the pub, this was ironically new for him, not the toilet part of course, but the fact that there was generally some slag on her knees or bent over in front of him when he was getting ready to blow his load.

He could have done that easily, there were a million cunts just waiting outside the door right now…but he didn't want them.

He wanted _her_.

He wanted to see that tight, sweet, round little ass bent over in front of him, and it wouldn't be here. She was too fine a thing to be in a filthy place like this, she deserved to be on some plush sheets in a posh hotel…the fucking Ritz. Yeah, he'd have her spread out like a banquet…maybe pour a little champagne over that wet slit and give it a nice long lick.

It had been a good long time since he'd eaten pussy, and hers probably tasted like warm honey and orange marmalade. Nice and sugary sweet, like a fuckin' dessert, and that pretty princess would moan and sing like a fuckin' nightingale when he did it. He'd make her come over and over, 'till she soaked his face and begged for his dick…and then he'd fuck them both into a coma.

Freddie gasped out loud as he looked down to see his hand pumping up and down on his swollen cock, he felt his balls draw up tight and his eyes rolled back in his head as his orgasm hit like a baseball bat to the head, sending a shot of semen all over the dirty toilet seat.

He smiled lazily as he gave himself a gentle tug and leaned against the wall, taking another drag off his cigarette and letting the huge ash from neglecting it fall to the floor. Who'd have thought that pretty, pretty princess would make him act like a snot nosed little teenager wanking all over the place.

He let the cigarette dangle from his lips as he put himself together again, tucking in his shirt and fastening his belt. He checked his watch and sighed, it was a little after five…he wasn't going to go see her tonight at work. He'd seen her reach for him when he pulled away from kissing her, and he knew that she wanted him almost as bad as he wanted her…but there was no shame in letting her get nice and worked up all night long.

Let that perfect pussy get good hot and wet for him…and then he'd pay her a little visit to tuck her into bed.

He finally flicked his cigarette into the toilet as he walked back out to the bar and took a seat next to Jimmy, downing his whiskey in one mouthful before sighing contentedly.

"You done doin' whatever Freddie, 'cause we are supposed to make a drop for Ozzy tonight." His cousin reminded him in a voice that was just a tad bit too bossy for his liking.

Freddie turned to him with an incline to his scarred brow and gestured for another shot. "Yeah, Jimmy-boy, I'm done doin' what I want for the time being. But, uh, mind your fuckin' tone, you ain't got Maggie here to impress so don't get brave. I know what has to be dropped tonight, and I know when Siddy and Patricia expect to be paid, so we are workin' on my schedule 'till I say otherwise."

Jimmy nodded with a sigh, "Sorry, Freddie, it's just I want to make sure Ozzy knows we're good, you know, we can really do this and make money for him."

"Come on," Freddie said with a huge grin, elbowing him sharply, "I've told you Jimmy-boy, you and I are special, we're gonna rule all this like a couple of kings, mate don't you worry."

Jimmy laughed and Freddie nodded as he tossed back his whiskey, he was gonna rule alright, with his queen right by his side.

* * *

The bar was packed, and Claire was regretting the hell out of the two bottles of expensive champagne that her and Freddie had drank at lunch, because the thumping music and the lights were giving her a killer headache. Then again the fact that Kat had poured a shot or four for everyone before the shift started.

Well she'd had three and a half, because Gina had made sure to "accidentally" try to spill one all over her. Claire smirked as she looked up at the stage, the dark haired woman surrounded by disgusting men grabbing at her ass and throwing her singles while Claire was up to her elbows in fives without having to show her ass to the room.

Gina stared at her with a scowl and Claire smirked as she folded a stack of bills to tuck into her halter top before she sarcastically blew a kiss at her and mouthed, "_eat_, _shit_" with a saccharine smile and wave.

Kat laughed from behind her and she turned around, "What?"

"Oh, Cherry, you have a serious problem with that one, I think she wants to ride the dick that's been chasin' you."

Claire sighed dramatically, "Come on, are you still on that? We didn't fuck, alright? Do you _want _me to fuck him so you can lecture me about it?"

"No, I want you to get your head out of your arse and wake up and realize that you have a snake slithering around, that's all. You don't need someone like him, you deserve better than that." Kat said as she leaned over playfully to show her cleavage to a customer and pull in a tip.

"I see," Claire said as she nodded, "So doing_ this_ for a living is much more my level then?"

The blonde shrugged, "Suit yourself, but if I were you, I'd keep it quiet."

"Yes, Mommy, I promise I'll behave."

Claire laughed at her incredulous face and smiled at the customer that was sitting in Freddie's seat, she made sure to serve him well, because she knew he wasn't going to be sitting in that seat for very long.

* * *

By midnight Claire was openly frowning, because there was no sign of Freddie at all. Her eyes kept darting up to the door, squinting to see in the bright flashing lights for any indication of that walk and his smile. But there was nothing, it was as if he'd completely forgot about her.

She could see Kat behind her laughing her ass off about the whole thing, and that served to piss her off even more. No one made her feel like second best, she was the fucking daughter of the head of the Mullen Gang. He _owned_ South Boston and now she was living miles beneath where she deserved.

She cracked open a bottle of Jameson and didn't even bother with a shot glass, she just poured it right into a tumbler and drank it down without taking a breath.

Fucking Freddie Jackson standing her up, who did he think he was?

But no matter how angry her head was with the fact that he'd left her looking like a fool, all her body could remember was the hard press of his sinful lips against hers, the way his tongue unapologetically plundered her mouth, and the way his large, strong hands grasped her ass to roll it into the hard line of his cock. She knew she was soaking wet, and the copious amounts of alcohol that were rushing through her system did nothing to help her.

Because she wanted him. She wanted him more than she'd wanted anything in a very long time...and she didn't want to be one of the women here that he fucked and tossed away...oh, no, she would be something that he couldn't get enough of.

* * *

By the end of her shift, she was really wasted, and that totally explained the way she totally ignored Gina as she tapped her stuffed envelope right on the counter in her face before she walked to the front door to have a cigarette. She half hoped that Freddie would be waiting for her, but she was even more shocked to see Sharon herself walking out of a side entrance in a gorgeous black mink coat, flanked by two security guards.

The woman smiled and passed the idling Mercedes that was waiting for her to walk over. Claire instantly straightened herself, as if she was being inspected like she had been in prep-school. "Just look at you," She said as she shook her head gently, "You remind me of what I used to be like- pretty little thing that controlled men with just a thought."

Claire smiled as she patted her cheek softly, "Something tells me that nothing has changed, Ma'am. You still rule over everything you want."

Sharon laughed, her magenta lips sliding back to reveal her perfect smile, "That's right Cherry, and do you know why? Because I don't heel like a bitch to a man. Let me tell you a little secret, in this very country we had a Queen who was ruled by no one. She said, 'I'll have one mistress and no master', and I live my life like that. Make sure you do the same and you'll be just fine. Besides, someday I'll need someone to take up my place, and the throne is always for the prettiest one, everyone knows that."

Her words rang in her ears and Claire stared blankly at her for a minute as they stared at one another. Her drunken head tried to wrap her mind around the thought...was she saying she wanted her to take over? What about Kat?

"Well, Cherry, you have a good night, make sure to lock those doors up tight, there's a lot of mongrel animals about, you wouldn't want to run into them and ruin yourself."

"Yes, Ma'am," She said quietly.

Claire watched as Sharon turned as briskly walked back to her waiting car as a guard opened the door and she effortlessly slid in, driving off without looking back. She stood silently in the cooling air until Kat came trouping out with the other girls a minute later.

She was shocked to see her with the bottle of Jameson that she'd been drinking all night, there wasn't much left at all, and she passed it to Lizbeth who after a swig passed it to Gina, and after she had a long pull she wiped off the top of the bottle with the flat of her hand and surprisingly handed it off.

"There's only a little left if you want it."

Claire paused for a second and she rolled her eyes, "Look, I'm sorry for bein' a cunt earlier, but here, it's a peace offering. No hard feelings and all that."

She reached out slowly and took the bottle, downing the last part in two large gulps before wiping her mouth with her hand and turning around to pitch the empty bottle into the alleyway in the general direction of the dumpster. It crashed loudly and shattered to pieces as she followed the girls back to Kat's car.

It was somewhere between dropping Holly off and walking up her stairs that Claire realized that something was off. Her vision was fuzzy, and her limbs were sluggish. It took her ten minutes to lock her door, and she finally stumbled into her bedroom. Her head was heavy and she couldn't lift her head off the pillow. She managed to kick off her shoes and take off her tight suede miniskirt before she passed out cold on her bed.

* * *

The drop had gone off well, in Freddie's opinion anyway, he'd had to knock out the teeth of one smart mouthed little fuck, but after that it went just peachy. Jimmy was still bitchin' about it, but he had stopped listening to him the moment he climbed in the car and let himself have a nice fat line for his troubles.

His eyes were still tearing up as he stepped out of the car at Claire's place, looking up to her apartment and seeing that the second floor window in the alleyway right near the fire escape still had the light on.

"You want me to wait for you?" Jimmy asked quietly.

Freddie grinned as he took a drag off his freshly lit cigarette. "Nah, Jimmy-boy, gonna be an all-nighter for me. I'll see you later."

His cousin nodded and drove off and he was left on his own. He walked over to the alley and after a creative bit of stacking with a trash can, he'd managed to pull the ladder down from the fire escape and pull himself up.

He could have just walked up to the front door like a normal caller, but where was the fun in that? She was the kind of woman that deserved a little extra thought, a little like that bird in that play..._.Juliet_...yeah, she needed a fuckin' Romeo to climb up to her balcony.

The coke roaring through his body made his pulse spike and quickened his lust, he was practically panting when he finally got to her window and peeked inside. It was dimly lit by a small bedside lamp, and there on a plain double bed was his reason for scaling a fucking building at 2am.

Her head was turned away from him, her red hair spilled all over the bed like a massive, silky blanket, and when he looked lower he groaned. She was wearing a tight black top that pushed up her perky tits, and nothing else but a small pair of black lace knickers. Her long, creamy, smooth legs were bare, and he actually groaned out loud as his cock instantly hardened.

He had to have her.

He fiddled with the old wooden window for a minute, finally pulling out his switchblade knife to jimmy the lock until it slid up under the pressure. He lifted it up enough that he could crawl in, and he was actually surprised to find how easy it was. He closed it behind him and finally turned back to the beautiful woman lying on the bed.

She really was the most fuckin' beautiful thing he'd ever set his eyes on. Even sleeping she looked like an angel, soft and sweet, and he just knew after he had her he wasn't going to stop. She was going to be his from now on. No one else was going to be allowed to touch her.

Freddie unzipped his leather coat and left it hanging on the bedpost as he cocked his head to see that she was _really _out cold...

He walked to the side of her and gently sat on the side of her, the mattress bowing under his weight just a little, but she didn't move at all. He smiled as he reached out with his hand to let his fingers very, very softly stroke the pale skin at the top of her thigh, just the tips barely brushing against it.

His mouth fell open and a little slack at the sensation that rocketed up his fingertips. It was like satin. He'd never touched anything so soft and silky in his life. He looked up to see that she hadn't moved at all, it concerned him for a moment until he got a whiff of the whiskey on her breath.

Awh, had pretty Claire missed him and gotten upset because he hadn't come to see her at work?

He touched her again, this time letting the flat part of his finger pads skate from her thigh down to her knee. There was still no movement and a frown crossed his face. He wasn't going to fuck her like this. She was out more than Jackie by seven on a Tuesday. He wanted her to be fully aware the first time he took her. He wanted to see her blue eyes looking at him, he wanted her pretty mouth begging him...

He shook his head and smiled, well, if he wasn't going to fuck her there wasn't any reason he couldn't touch her. After all he was hard as a rock, he shouldn't go wanting. So he let both of his hands trail up her milky white legs to grab the elastic band of her lace knickers and very slowly inch them down, biting his lip when the smooth skin of her mound was revealed.

He placed the ball of lace next to him as he eased open her thighs to stare at the most luscious pink pussy...it made him actually lightheaded as every last bit of blood circulating in his body flooded the aching skin between his legs. There was nothing but glistening skin and a very small and immaculately trimmed triangular shaped hair at the top of it all.

For a split second he was actually furious at the thought that someone had been allowed to touch her there at a salon to do that...until he remembered how poor she'd been as of late. A sense of glee and covetousness replaced the anger, he'd be more than willing to keep her nice and clean like that. He'd kneel for hours in the bathroom shaving her wherever she wanted.

He let her thighs fall apart to expose her fully and he could barely wait a second before he let his middle finger trace her, groaning at the touch of something that was even softer than her legs if that was possible. She was wet, and warm, and as he traced her slit up and down, he looked up to hope to see any movement at all- but there was nothing.

His finger spread the slick moisture up to her clit, rubbing it in slow, gentle circles that finally had a little huff of breath coming out of her pouty lips just for a second before she stilled again. Freddie smiled as he brought it back down to find her little opening before pushing in to the warmth.

He almost lost it at the feeling. She was tighter than a virgin, and even though he could tell by the way she moved that she wasn't truly innocent, judging by this, she was picky about the dick she had. And why shouldn't she be, with a face like hers, she deserved only the best.

He gently parted her with his index finger and slowly slid that one in to join the other, right up to the gold rings he was wearing. With a smooth slide he slowly began to rock them in and out of her, touching a little patch of spongy flesh deep inside her that was weeping with more of that thick honey as it began to swell.

"Oh, Princess," He whispered with a smile, "Nice and tight aren't you, it's gonna be so good between us, you're gonna be the death of me aren't you, pretty little thing. Can you give me a nice squeeze? Hmm, come on babe, tighten up on me, just give me a little one."

For the first time in a long while he was patient, diligent with his fingers, even letting his thumb stroke her little nub in time with the rhythm. He knew she was drunk and the feeling was dulled...but it was all worth it when she huffed and moved just the littlest bit and he felt her inner walls clamp down on his fingers with a weak pulse.

His entire body was on fire as he pulled his fingers out and stared at the glistening slick that covered them before he slid one and then the other between his lips so he could lick them completely clean. And just like he'd thought this afternoon- just like warm marmalade.

By now his poor cock was actually weeping and he could feel the wetness on the front of his boxers. He couldn't resist. Before he knew it he was standing up and his belt was undone and his pants were unzipped. But instead of standing he crawled up slowly onto the bed perching himself over the top of her body and balancing his weight as he reached down to give himself a long stroke with the hand that was still damp with her juices and his saliva.

His head bowed and he trembled as he touched himself, taking in the curve of her face and committing it to memory. "Fuck, babe, you got me actin' like a horny teenager, ain't even thought of another woman since I saw you, no one..." He swallowed hard as white hot arcs of pleasure rolled down his spine and tickled his already sensitive skin. "How'd you do that? Huh? Already fuckin' addicted to you and I've just had a taste...you promise me a proper hit, yeah? I won't let you alone after...I know that...gonna want you all the time...won't stop..._fuck-_"

There was sweat on his brow and he suddenly felt his balls jerk and he knelt back in just enough time to reach over to grab her lace panties as he stroked furiously, his jaw tight as it came over him in a blinding rush. He held the lace in his fingers as he came all over it with such intensity that his ears actually rang and streaks of white crossed his vision.

He sucked in huge gasps of breath as he stood up on shaky legs, his brain taking a second to regain control of his body. Finally a low laugh came from his throat. He smiled at himself, he was totally fucked up over the little thing with red hair in front of him.

But there was nothing that was going to be done tonight about that.

He thought for a second, wondering just what to do...and he finally settled on leaving her come-stained knickers on her little bedside table for her to see first thing in the morning. And to leave no doubt just who had been here, he slid the heavy ring off his middle finger, the one that had touched her and left it beside them.

He'd wait for her to come to him now.

Freddie fixed his pants and buckled his belt before he walked back to the bed and touched her satiny legs one more time. He reached over to the other side of the bed to pull the worn down comforter across her legs to keep her warm. He nudged her just a little so she was sleeping on her side just in case she didn't make it through the night without being sick.

He crouched down next to her face, tucking a strand of her long red hair behind her ear as he leaned in to kiss her forehead tenderly. "Next time then, darling."

He stood up and shut off her bedside lamp, grabbing his coat and throwing it back on before he climbed out of the window and took one last look at her, looking snug in her bed all alone...not for very long, "Night, Princess." He made sure the window was secure before he climbed back down the fire escape and replaced the ladder.

With a wry grin Freddie reached into his pocket and lit a cigarette as he walked to the payphone down the street, well it looked like Jimmy-boy was going to come out to pick him up after all.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: And here is a little present for my lovelies...I am still not sure if it went as I planned it to go...but it was what came out...and quite frankly Freddie does what he wants and I just try to keep him moderately under control enough to get it out and written down.**

**Please note, we have some definite language and naughtiness to warn you about here...but by now you already know that.**

**Arrrgh, please read and review...and thank you SO, SO, SO much to all who have so far! It means the world! **

* * *

When she finally came to her head was pounding out louder than a goddamn stereo on full blast. The pain was so awful she didn't even bother to open her eyes for the first few minutes, she knew it was going to be one of those insane headaches that occasionally plagued her during her period. But it didn't make sense why she felt like that now, the pill had pretty much ended that monthly torture for her, and she didn't really drink_ that_ much last night, all things considered, so she shouldn't have a hangover this bad.

She remembered drinking the champagne at lunch, and the whiskey at the club...

Claire tried to think of something else, anything else, about last night. But it was all a fuzzy, messed up blur. She remembered the thumping music in the bar, and the cloud of smoke that filled the air, making her want to throw up like it always did. Suddenly she could see Gina wiping the mouth of the bottle of Jameson as they left before she handed it over with a smile as a "peace offering".

And she actually took it?! What the hell was she thinking? Gina was a nasty bitch with an eye to wreck her since they met, and she just took something from her and ingested it? Way to go, Claire. That cunt must have slipped her something just for the fun of it.

The moment her eyes blinked open, she instantly regretted it. The sun was streaming into the window and she groaned painfully at the thought of actually moving. But lying in bed wasn't exactly going to help the situation. She sat up and ran her fingers through the tangled rats nest of her now greasy hair that once again reeked of stale cigarette smoke and whiskey. It was revolting, like the look of the bar in the daylight, when the lights were on and every nasty, seedy little thing was on display.

Claire managed to slowly turn her head to the left and catch sight of the small bedside table. It took a second for her recovering, drug addled mind to comprehend what she was looking at, but there is was plain as the daylight that was splitting her skull in two- there was a crumpled ball of black lace and a large gold ring beside it.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, shivering as a chill raced across her skin. It was then that she realized it. She was still wearing the slinky black halter top that she'd worn last night to work, but she was completely naked from the waist down. Those were_ her_ panties balled up on the nightstand.

Alright, it wasn't as if she hadn't had one of those nights before where she woke up naked in bed. When Daddy wasn't paying attention she used to have a good time with Seamus, but that was then. This was completely different, because there was no sign of a man in her bed, and she strained her ears to listen to the silent flat around her...there definitely wasn't one making her breakfast either.

And she_ definitely_ remembered Kat being the one who drove her home and she remembered locking her front door.

Claire sighed and looked over at the clock. It was already noon. Which meant that she had five hours to pull her shit together so she could walk into that hell-hole and do it all over again. It was times like this when she really hated her fucking mother for being too stupid to know anything about her father's money and where he kept the cash. For just taking what he had to give her like a simpering little idiot in her fur coat and raising her to be the same way.

Useless except for her tits and ass. Things for men to look at and grab at every night, the only worth she seemed to have. Men like Freddie Jackson, who had come strutting into her life two days ago and turned her already shitty life upside down. He'd looked at her through dark, grey, cocaine and whiskey teary eyes as he smoked cigarette after cigarette, looking her up and down with a devious curl to his obscenely full lips that shouldn't have her squirming but did all the same.

And even though he stood her up last night, all she could think of was the way he kissed her...and how he'd made her feel like she was something again, even if it was just for a couple of hours.

She turned around and put her feet on the floor, pausing when she noticed that her panties were stained with something...and that ring... a cold wave raced through her body as a very garbled memory floated to the surface of her mind, and a raspy, deep voice filled her ears.

_"Oh, Princess..."_

It was Freddie's voice. What the hell was going on? Why the fuck was his voice in her head? Her stomach dropped as she felt the skin between her legs tingle, and a bit of slickness that rubbed off on her thigh. Her hand flew up to her mouth and she stood up, her other hand shaking as she touched between her legs.

She was wet.

Oh, God...he didn't...no, there was no way. Claire took a deep breath and concentrated on her body, she hadn't had sex in over a year, not since Seamus had gone to prison, and she would have been sore if that had happened.

Another flash of memory went through her mind and she saw herself on her bed, her legs wide open...and he was between them, staring down at her exposed flesh as two of his fingers dipped deep inside her, over and over again. He looked up at her, his lower lip caught in his teeth as he smiled mischievously.

_"Nice and tight aren't you? It's gonna be so good between us, you're gonna be the death of me, aren't you, pretty little thing. Can you give me a nice squeeze? Hmm, come on babe, tighten up on me, just give me a little one..."_

She came.

The ghost of that feeling echoing through her body as clear as the other thoughts. He'd somehow gotten into her flat and he'd probably found her on her bed, passed out from whatever the fuck Gina had given her. And what? He decided that he'd play with her a little?

Her face blushed bright red as she looked over to her bedroom window, which was seemingly secure as normal. She was on the second floor, but it really wouldn't take much at all to climb the fire escape. So Freddie must have followed her home from the bar and crawled into her bedroom...what was he planning to do to her?

That was a stupid question. He was there to fuck her, plain and simple. Because that was the kind of man Freddie Jackson was. He found something he liked and he took it for himself.

But as much as the thought that this man had broken into her place scared the shit out of her...there was some part of her, the dark part that used to have her sitting with her father, making drinks for Whitey Bulger himself; the same part that had knowingly spent an afternoon with a married man while he wined and dined her, and told her he wanted to fuck her as he kissed her, that actually liked it.

And Freddie Jackson...well, he was an entirely different animal. She already knew without a shadow of a doubt, that he was going to be the worst type of man...the dangerous kind that she was going to become absolutely addicted to, like the most terrible type of drug.

And that realization should have sent her running for the hills.

But it didn't.

Instead she stared at the gold ring next to her stained panties and blushed again when she realized _what_ they were stained with. He'd come too. He couldn't touch her without losing control. Her mind was suddenly racing with a sense of arousal that she couldn't shake...would he come to see her again tonight?

She bit her lip when she realized that the feeling swirling in her gut was anticipation and not anxiety. She _wanted_ to see him tonight.

* * *

Claire managed to pull herself together after a nice warm bath, a glass of tea and a bowl of cereal. She was so incredibly thirsty, which she was beginning to think was a side effect of whatever the hell that pill was. That bitch was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

She smiled nastily as she thought of her conversation with Sharon last night. What would happen to little Miss Gina if she found out what had happened? Maybe she'd find herself working downstairs from now on.

Claire laughed as she walked back into the bathroom and started the agonizingly long process of blow drying her waist length cherry red hair. It took the better part of an hour, but finally it was perfect. The ends were curled, fluffed and sprayed into a voluminous cascade that practically covered her entire back all the way down to her ass.

It was Saturday night, which meant that the place was probably going to be packed to the gills with the scummiest that London had to offer, ready to spend their paychecks that should have gone to their families on a little second rate tits and ass. She smirked as she looked in the mirror at the old sweater that hung off her tiny frame, her flawless creamy skin poking out underneath the hem and from the shoulder.

Well, she wasn't second rate, and tonight she was going to give Freddie Jackson an eyeful. When he saw her, he'd never look at another woman for the rest of his life and not find her wanting in comparison.

She went all out when she was getting ready just to further the point. She penciled on an exaggerated cat-eye swipe with her jet black eyeliner to emphasize her ice blue eyes, adding a bit of smoky grey to pull it out even more. On her plump full lips she went with a dark red liner and a magenta lipstick that matched her hair.

She had the perfect outfit too. Claire walked into her bedroom and dug through her small dresser, coming up with Kat's teeny black leather mini-shorts, a black pushup bra, and a long-sleeved fishnet shirt with the holes small enough that it wasn't readily apparent that she wasn't really wearing much beneath it; and the best part were the boots that her mother absolutely refused to let her wear at home, the black over the knee stilettos that made her feel like sex on two legs.

When she walked in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom, that was exactly what she looked like. Her curves were on full display, everything from her long legs, round breasts to her tiny waist and her trim hips and little bubble butt...oh she was going to make him beg for it.

And she was going to make Gina sorry that she ever thought she could play in the same _league_ as her.

* * *

It was a little after four thirty when she threw on her leather coat and walked out to the front stoop, fishing through her bag to pull out her pack of cigarettes before lighting one and taking a deep drag. She slowly exhaled, watching as the smoke curled out of her mouth and into the still comfortable air. She wasn't used to it being this warm so early in April. In Boston it still would have been almost too cold to stand outside in the ensemble she was in.

A few seconds later Kat's orange Escort puttered around the corner and she pulled up to the curb, Holly was in her passenger's seat, already chugging from a paper bagged bottle, and thankfully those were the only people in the car. Claire jumped into the backseat and Kat smirked at her, "Don't you look like a dirty slut, remind me to stick by you tonight and mop up the tips you can't fit in that bra of yours."

"Thanks," She smiled. "I think, was that a compliment."

"In a bitchy way," Kat answered.

Holly turned around in her seat, her brown eyes were already glassy, and her frizzy brown hair looked like she hadn't bothered to shower. Claire felt a small wave of sadness go through her looking at the girl, the poor thing was an absolute mess, hooked on everything and fighting a losing battle with them all.

"Don't listen to her," Holly slurred, "You look so gorgeous, they're all gonna be fallin' all over you. Just like last night."

She smiled and debated saying anything about what had happened with Gina, but her curiosity got the better of her. She took a drag on her cigarette and opened the back window just a crack. "So, uh, was I out of it last night?"

Kat made a face, "Well you did decide to mainline whiskey there for a while, but you seemed fine when I dropped you off, why you askin'?"

Claire smirked, her mind instantly adding, "yeah I was fine alright, so much so that apparently Freddie Jackson snuck into my window and did a nice little number between my legs with his fingers and after I came, I'm pretty sure he jerked off on my panties and left them on my bedside table".

But she said, "I felt like shit and barely made it to bed before I blacked out after fuckin' Gina passed me that bottle. So, that's why I'm askin'."

Kat stopped the car and whipped her head around, her hazel eyes raging. "Are you fuckin' playin' at this?" Her voice was almost a growl and Claire was taken back for a second.

"No." She said without a hint of nerves in her voice. She knew what she was doing. That bitch had just been accused, judged and sentenced, and all on her word.

"That fuckin' slag cunt!" Kat screamed loud enough to make poor Holly next to her almost drop her bottle she was shaking so bad.

"So, she thinks she can do whatever she wants in my club?" She spoke out to no one in particular, "She's got another fuckin' thing coming. She's done."

Claire could do nothing but sit back in her seat and smile as she finished her cigarette. It was going to be a very interesting night that was for sure.

* * *

The three girls walked into the dingy bar a little before five and walked upstairs to dump their things into the tiny backroom before walking down to the bar. Kat grabbed the schedule and stormed down to the main floor of the bar with Claire and Holly following respectfully a few feet behind her to make sure they were clear of her wrath.

She stood at the bar just as Gina came walking in with the other dancer Sara, both of them turning to look at Claire before they both started laughing.

Kat interrupted them with a fake sounding, high pitched laugh before she stared at Gina with daggers in her eyes. "Oh look, you're just in time for the schedule ladies, and what do you know, we have a couple of changes. Lizzie and Emma, looks like you get a promotion tonight. And Sara, just by association, and 'cause I'm a right bitch tonight, you'll be serving on the floor."

Sara's face dropped and Gina frowned, "What about me?"

"What about you, G?" Kat said with a sneer. "You think it's fuckin' funny to slip something to one of my girls? Huh? You think it's fuckin' funny to go after one of your own after all the shit we all deal with day to day? You think it's funny to make an enemy with the only fuckin' woman in town who has your ass protected?"

Gina's brown eyes went wide, "I don't know what you are talking about, I didn't-"

"You didn't slip her somethin' last night?" Kat barked. "If I ask Lizzie and I tell her that her fuckin' ass is on the street if she lies to me, what's she gonna say?"

Gina's face went white, "It was just a joke, I just wanted her-"

"You wanted her to what?" She said with an incline of her eyebrow, "You wanted to get back at her because Freddie didn't look at you when he could look at her? You really can't be serious, I mean look at her. She could show up for tea with the Queen and get let right in, and you are a nasty little slag from Hackney. You really think anyone even _sees_ someone like you next to a girl like that?"

Claire was actually sorry for her for a split second as the girl's face dropped. "I should kick your fuckin' arse out and make you take it over to Siddy Clancy's place. I hear he tests the merchandise himself before he puts it on display- but I won't do that. Because a good little bitch like you can still make me plenty of money. So because I'm not a thoughtless cunt like you, I'm gonna let you work downstairs tonight, G, how's that sound, hmm?"

Gina was almost crying and Kat laughed, "I'll even let you have a drink, on me, maybe you should take some of what you gave her last night, might help you out."

In the end Claire couldn't help but smirk at her as she walked past, her legs trembling as she followed Holly and the other girls downstairs. Kat poured herself a huge glass of tequila and shot it back like it was water before she panted out a few deep breaths and shook her head back and forth.

"Are you alright?" Claire asked softly as the woman tapped her fingers angrily on the bar top.

"Just peachy fuckin' keen, Cherry. She's lucky Sharon ain't here tonight, or her ass would be in serious trouble." She shook her head and poured herself another shot and one for Claire as well. "You know we are all surrounded by enemies all the time out there, and I don't need it in here too."

"Well, I always have your back," She said as she raised her glass.

Kat smiled wanly as she raised up her glass in a mirroring toast, "Don't make me promises you can't keep, Cherry."

* * *

The bar was packed. The music was bumping as usual by midnight, and Claire was leaning over the bar talking to a decent looking guy in a cheap suit when she finally saw _him_ come walking in.

Freddie split the crowd like he was fucking bulletproof, and she couldn't help the way her lower body throbbed instantly when she set eyes on him. As if her physical form had the memories of last night that her brain couldn't register.

He sauntered over to the same corner of the bar that he sat at before, and she noticed that his thin cousin Jimmy was in tow again. She bit her full lip at the sight of his own pillow soft pout as he slid off the mirrored aviators that were as absolutely pointless in a pitch dark club as they were at night.

She tried to ignore him at first, putting on a little show as she arched her back and pushed out her ass as she waited on the other customers, the tips coming in like a waterfall, but try as she might she couldn't stop her eyes from looking over at him. And just as she knew he would be, Freddie was smoking a cigarette with slow, deliberate drags, letting the smoke curl out of his obscene mouth as he stared her down with a look that screamed of the most debauched, depraved acts she could imagine.

When she couldn't stay away she finally sauntered over, looking first at Jimmy's relatively innocent doe eyes before looking at the wolf himself.

"So, how are you two doing tonight?" Her voice falling into the slow, sensual tone she used with all the customers. Jimmy nodded and gave a quick smile.

"Fine."

Claire tried to control the race of her pulse as she looked at Freddie, his sharp grey eyes already buzzing with cocaine as he let a lazy smile pull across his face. "Mmm, look at you Princess, don't you look fuckin' _delicious_." He emphasized the word as he stared shamelessly at her crotch. "Almost as pretty as you looked in that nice dress I bought ya."

She felt heat racing across her body, centering between her legs as she actually felt herself dampen. She tried to keep it under control as she spoke, "What can I get you to drink?"

Freddie stared at her with a deliberate stare as he took a drag from his cigarette, puffing out a smoke ring before he licked his lips. "Whiskey's good babe, for now."

It was like deja vu and she tried to keep her hands steady as she poured him a glass and brought it over. She put it down and went to turn around when suddenly his hand shot out to grab her arm. Claire froze as she stared at his large hand, each finger covered in a tacky gold ring as it encircled her slender wrist. He was holding her with a firm pressure, but not necessarily hurting her- though pulling away was impossible.

He tugged gently encouraging her to lean her face down towards his until they were only inches apart. He stared at her for a long moment, as if memorizing her face, before he slipped his middle finger, that was noticeably missing a ring, into his glass of whiskey before he brought it up between their faces, putting it between his lips where he sucked on it slowly. His dark stare never leaving her face.

"But I got a taste for somethin' much sweeter, and think I might want a mouthful of it later."

Claire actually heard herself whimper as she blinked slowly. Oh, God, she wanted him, right here in public, right on the bar in front of these scumbags and Kat- she didn't care. If he didn't take her tonight she was going to lose her mind. As if Freddie could hear her thoughts, he let go of her arm to grab a piece of her long hair and twirl it around his fingers.

His grey eyes went around her for a second to no doubt stare at Kat before he grinned slowly and leaned in to put his lips against her cheek in a soft, gentle kiss. "Better go wait on your other customers before you get in trouble, Princess. But don't you worry that pretty little head, I'll be right here all night."

* * *

Claire noticed that Kat was openly in a pissy mood, and whether it was because of what happened with Gina earlier, or the fact that Freddie was at the bar, she didn't really know. But all she did know was the fact that Freddie was calling to her like some sort of hypnotic trance that she was absolutely powerless to ignore. It wasn't more than a few minutes at a time that she could even pretend to work before she was back in front of him again.

Naturally Freddie was enjoying every minute of it, taking liberty to run his fingers through her hair or touch her arm, all while licking whiskey slowly off his pillow lips with a smile on his face.

He laughed as he held up his empty glass, winding her hair around his other hand, "Got a request for you, Princess," He said with a wink. "Now, I ain't much for this sort of thing, but I thought maybe this time you could put a little sugar on the rim of my glass."

Claire made a surprised face and stared at him, trying to make sense of the amusement dancing in his grey eyes. "I don't think we have any..." She trailed off as she turned to look at the bar and finding nothing at all but liquor bottles and glasses, it wasn't exactly the sort of place that garnished drinks with cherries and lemon peels.

Freddie chuckled as he shook his head and stroked through her hair to get her attention. "Nah, I mean somethin' really sweet babe." He held up his glass again, "Give that a nice, slow lick round for me."

She giggled a little at his silly suggestion, but she knew by the look in his eyes that he was dead serious about it. So she took the glass from him, realizing that this man had already touched her and wanted more, before she slowly parted her painted lips and let her tongue come out to daintily lick along the top of the rim.

She made sure to purposely take her time, moving it with slow languid swipes that were a decent mirror to what she'd do to him in a similar situation and another part of his anatomy. When she was done she set the glass down and poured him some more whiskey as she leaned in, watching as he picked up the glass and brought it to his lips, taking a long swallow.

Freddie closed his eyes and breathed in for a moment before licking his lips and staring at her, "Sweeter than candy, Princess."

Claire couldn't help but stare at the gleam of moisture on his mouth, ignoring everything around her, and her common sense, she reached up to run the flat of her thumb across his lower lip. She watched something dark and lust fueled bleed into his eyes as she licked her finger.

She tried for bravado, but the way he was staring at her was making her melt into an absolute puddle. Instead all she could do was smile in a way that she hoped was seductive and whisper, "You too."

A voice called out to her from across the bar and she walked over dreamily to ask what Mr. Cheap Suit wanted. She was filling his drink and shamelessly flirting for a tip, when all of a sudden her head snapped up to see commotion coming from the stairs that led to the brothel area.

It all happened in slow motion to her, because one minute she was pouring a shot of no-label vodka, and the next she saw the half naked form of Holly running up the stairs screaming as a fat, sweaty man chased after her wearing nothing put polyester trousers and a white undershirt. He grabbed her by her hair and whipped her around before his closed fist cracked into her face and she went down.

"You'll do what I fuckin' pay you to whore!"

Claire didn't think, fueled by instinct alone she simply stepped up on the mini-fridge in the back and in two steps she vaulted over the top of the bar screaming for Matty and Kat as she ran over to the man who was standing over Holly and grabbed his gross undershirt, letting her fingernails dig into his flesh as she raked them down his back, leaning away with all of her weight trying to pull him away from the hysterical woman.

"Fuckin' bitch!" He yelled as she drew blood with her nails. He wheeled around and Claire wasn't fast enough to dodge the arm that came swinging back, his hard, rough mitt clocking her with a backhand to the face so hard that she landed flat on her ass seeing stars.

Her ears were ringing and Claire couldn't see straight, the only thing that brought her to was a voice- something that sounded completely feral and inhuman as it screamed out.

"You fuckin' touched her, I'm gonna fuckin' bleed you, fuckin' cunt!"

Her dazed eyes rolled up to see Freddie run up and clock him with a fist that hit with the force of a baseball bat. The fat man fell and he was on him raining punches down that finished with a strange clink every time. It took her a second to realize that he was wearing a pair of brass knuckles.

Claire was snapped out of it by a concerned voice by her ear that she quickly recognized was his cousin Jimmy. "Are you alright?"

"My head hurts," She mumbled.

"Come on, let's stand up."

The thinner set man helped her up and held onto her for a second before Kat appeared with a troupe of the late security guards, one of which tried to grab Freddie by the collar to pull him off. He simply shrugged him off and when back to pummel the now unmoving man on the ground.

It took three of them to pull him off, and when he looked around the room, his grey eyes almost black with anger and violence, Claire couldn't help but hold on to Jimmy and shiver in fear. He was covered in blood, and completely gone, there was nothing in him that even resembled the sleazy charmer that she'd come to know over the past couple of days.

Maybe it was the slap to the head, but suddenly all she could think was that this was that same alpha wolf that had kissed her on the stairs to stake his claim yesterday. Her eyes went to the bloodied man on the ground who was groaning and gurgling blood and then it all became clear- that man had touched her...and she was his...and no lesser animal ever touched what an alpha claimed as his without violent reprisal.

Claire watched in horror as security wrangled him to the door and tossed him out before dragging out the bloodied man. Jimmy shook his head as Kat looked up from where she was crouched with Holly on the ground. "I gotta go see to him, Claire." He said quietly, his wide blue-green eyes filled with honest concern. "Take care of yourself, and you get home soon, alright?"

"Thanks Jimmy," She mumbled quietly before he walked out.

She shook her still ringing head and stumbled on her high heels before she couched down to see Kat, her hazel eyes full of anger and hurt, and for a second fear.

"What the fuck did you think you were doin' jumping the bar like that, Cherry!" She huffed angrily. "That scumbag could have cut you or worse, god_damn_ it."

"I didn't think," Claire confessed, "I'm sorry, I just saw Holly and I had to help her." She winced at the pain in her cheek as she tried to smile gently.

The blonde woman shook her head, "Yeah and now I'm gonna send both of you home to rest. Help me get her up and to the door, I'm gonna call you a cab and I'll tip you both out for the whole night and tomorrow. I don't want to see you back here 'til Monday, I mean it."

Claire didn't argue as she helped Kat get Holly to her feet, trying to cover her with her tattered clothes as best she could. She waited outside for a cab, for a few minutes, taking the envelope from Kat and helping the still whimpering girl get into the backseat.

Holly clung to her for the entire ride and she could do nothing but try to comfort her. Kissing the top of her head like her mother used to do and holding her in a tight hug, telling her over and over again that she was going to be alright. She wasn't sure about leaving Holly alone for the night, but when she dropped her off there was another woman at her flat that looked to be a relative of some sort that helped her into the house.

By the time that Claire slid back into the cab again for the short ride home her head was pounding, and even though it was a terrible idea she stopped off and bought a bottle of whiskey and some aspirin. She rolled down the back window of the cab and let the cool air hit her face as they drove the few block back to her place, and ironically she actually felt a little better.

She paid and tipped the cab driver before she stepped out and looked up at her stoop. The car drove off behind her but she was still frozen in shock, because sitting there, smoking a cigarette with huge, agitated breaths, still covered in blood was Freddie.

For a long beat she was actually frightened to approach him as she watched the fingers of his free hand that were still sheathed in the brass knuckles twitching restlessly. She didn't want him to hit her.

But when he saw her, there was a small crack in the raging animal to reveal a man. He stood up and tossed his cigarette onto the sidewalk before walking over to her. Claire's eyes nervously lowered to be as submissive as possible without even thinking about it, as if her body had instantly switched to primitive instinct alone.

Even the strongest female knew when to defer in nature.

Freddie however didn't seem to notice how on edge she was, he simply wiped his palms on his pants and reached out for her, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight. Claire let out a trembling exhale before he brought up his hands to cup her face in his palms, firmly tilting her head back as he stared at her.

His still turbulent eyes took her in without a word before he let his lips crash onto hers with a desperate enthusiasm. She breathed in sharply in surprise and a bit of pain when he gripped her slapped cheek tightly, but it all went out of her head as his tongue plunged into her mouth. It was as if the kiss from yesterday had somehow increased in intensity tenfold. He was absolutely ravenous as he tasted her, and Claire could do nothing but whimper when she tasted the coppery tang of blood in her mouth.

It should have disgusted her, she should have been revolted by the entire thing, but instead all she could hear in her hormone-addled primitive, reptile, lizard brain was- _more, strong, male, claim...want._

Freddie released her face and stepped back, his eyes burning into hers. He didn't say a word, but he didn't have to. She knew what he wanted. He wanted the same thing that he came to her for yesterday. He'd already claimed her in thought and violence, and now he wanted it in deed.

Claire reached into her purse to pull out her keys with shaking hands, walking past him without a word to unlock the foyer of the building. She didn't turn around as she started up the stairs, her heels echoing on the old wooden steps as she walked up to her second floor apartment.

Each step was a decision, a knowing decision of what was going to happen if she opened that door and let him in. There would be no going back. He would take her and she would be his from now on. She'd be fucking a married man, an East End gangster thug that thought nothing of destroying what crossed his path.

But that little voice in the back of her mind spoke up again, reminding her that he was also hungry for more. Unlike Seamus she knew he had ambition to rise up, and she would stand beside him and be the woman that he'd never had.

He had told her that she needed a King to take care of her and give her what she needed, and tonight she'd let him prove it. Tonight she'd let him rule her.

* * *

Her hands were still shaking when she came to her door, the low light of the dingy hallway gave her some strength as she unlocked the door to her small flat and stepped inside. Freddie followed without a word, and she kept her head down as she turned around to lock the door again.

No sooner had the tumbler in the lock clicked and she turned around, he was on her.

His hands were strong, and almost rough as one grabbed her neck, threading his fingers through her hair while the other grabbed her ass hauling her against the solid form of his body before he ground his hips into her. She gasped out as her purse and her brown bag of whiskey were tossed onto the small counter before he took her mouth again with a growl.

Claire tried to think straight as he lifted her up somehow and pushed her against the door, his hips rutting hard against her and rolling the incredible length of his rock-hard erection over and over again from root to tip, as if silently declaring his masculinity without a word.

She whimpered as the seam of her leather shorts began to stroke hard against her clit with the repetitive friction of his movements, and after a particularly firm grind she felt the moisture actually leak out of her as she cried out loud. Freddie's eyes were on her, lit only by the small night light above the kitchen stove, and she was lost in them.

It was a study of madness, lust and desire, and she could actually feel the energy building in his body. His lush mouth hovered over hers, the breaths coming out in hot pants as he watched the way he made her come undone.

"You're mine, Princess," He said lowly, his voice a growl. "No one fuckin' touches you but me."

Claire moaned again, her eyes rolling back and her head thudding against the door as he rocked against her in an agonizingly slow roll. Her mouth fell open and she couldn't control the words that spilled from her mouth. "Take me, Freddie, _please_, I need you so bad."

He snarled in reply, taking her mouth in a savage kiss, his teeth and tongue devouring her mouth as he lifted her with one arm, pulling her tiny frame up as her long legs wrapped around her waist, spinning around and walking only a few steps before he set her down on the rickety metal and Formica table in the middle of the kitchenette.

Freddie was like a man possessed, pulling at her tight shorts and yanking them and her tiny panties off in one go. He did nothing more than tear at the front of his pants, opening his belt and practically tearing off the button of his pants as he opened them, reaching inside to take out his steel-hard cock as he grabbed her hip.

He unceremoniously pulled her to the edge of the table and spread her legs, unable to think or function beyond lining up his dick to her hot, wet slit and ramming it home in one vicious push. He snarled out as he felt her around him, tight as a fist, and he surrendered to the animal that had controlled him all night. He began a savage pace with his hips, hitting her off hard and fast, his hands tight on her soft yielding flesh.

Claire couldn't stop the screams and moans that left her lips as he fucked her harder and faster than she'd ever had before. Her inner walls were stretched to accommodate him and it wasn't an exaggeration that this man was hung like a beast. She felt like she was splitting apart at the seams...of course her year long drought definitely wasn't helping her either.

A particularly hard thrust bottomed out against the tender skin of her cervix and she arched her back at the sharp stab of pain that was quickly wrapped in pleasure. "Oh, God!" She said as a sob caught in her throat.

One of his hands slid up her body to grab first her shoulder and then her throat, the wide palm squeezing just enough to get her attention. "You're fuckin' _mine. _Say it."

Claire cried out as he slowed the pace of his furious pumps to fall into a rhythm of slow, deep thrusts that had him pulling all the way out of her and slamming back in to the very limit of her body. "I said, _say it_!" He growled as his hand tightened on her throat just enough to make the blood rush in her ears.

From somewhere inside her came the thought that every woman he fucked must just lay back like this and take it. They never challenged him. But she wasn't like the rest of those pathetic bitches. She suddenly kicked up her still booted legs, letting them come up to his shoulders as she lifted her ass in the air making him lose his balance and having to flatten both palms against the table as he leaned forward.

With him closer, Claire wrapped her legs around his neck moaning as the change in angle put pressure on that spot inside her that instantly turned her inside out. She bit her lip and he stared at her, almost incensed by her audacity, but the lust she saw as well managed keep the animal at bay.

"Princesses don't belong to anyone," She challenged as she leaned up to his sinful mouth, kissing him back with savage passion.

Freddie smiled for a brief second at her gall before he hit her off with a punishing thrust and pulled his mouth away, his voice a low husky whisper full of darkness and power. "That what you think, babe? 'Cause you're fuckin' _mine_...after this your pussy's gonna know who it belongs to."

She smiled at him, almost delirious as another wave of unbelievable feeling assaulted her, "Your cock too baby, it'll never find anything else to fuck that feels like me." He grunted as she clenched down her already tightening muscles to effectively trap him like a vise.

Freddie rocked hard into her, the table giving out an ominous creak and lurch, and he instantly tossed off her legs and grabbed her beneath her shoulders, sliding her off the table and letting her fall to the floor with only a little jostle before he leaned over her and picked up his pace again without missing a beat.

There was something different about the way he was moving now, a roll to his hips that was rubbing her clit on every stroke, and it was the one thing left that she needed to set her off. He seemed to notice it too, his rocking now centered on her, each touch deliberate as her insides began to twist and coil.

"Oh, I'm close...I'm gonna come!" She gasped.

"Mmm, yeah, fuck, you're gonna squeeze me to death," He groaned against her mouth. Freddie reached down to grab her hip in his hand trying to gain leverage against the linoleum floor as he started to hit her harder, feeling her body clamp down until it was almost unbearable...and then she was there.

Claire cried out as her entire body spasmed as her climax ravaged her body. Her back arched up, pushing her chest against his hard body as her inner walls began to pulse with an intense rhythmic beat, stronger than anything she'd ever felt. Her legs felt like rubber as the sensations kept rolling through her, and his hips never stopped.

"Freddie," She whimpered with a sob, "I'm yours."

At her final surrender he buried his face into the crook of her shoulder and held her close as he finally unleashed, his movements becoming frantic and uneven before he came with a choked growl, flooding her depths with his seed, not giving a single thought to it.

Freddie was shaking with the remnants of adrenaline and lust that were quickly draining from his system, leaving him momentarily at least, completely and utterly spent. He couldn't speak, and he couldn't think, in the end all he could do was roll a little to the side to keep from crushing her, grab her ass to keep them connected, and close his eyes as he let the blackness take him under and into blissful oblivion.

Claire felt his body sag against her, and she trembled as the aftershocks continued to race through her body. She was too boneless to move, and she simply snuggled against his strong chest and closed her eyes, following him into a fatigued sleep only moments later.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Sigh, I have a confession to make, I have a problem...a serious problem. Writing these two is like chocolate covered bacon. It's wrong...so wrong...but damn it if it isn't delicious and addictive.**

**There is a lot of hotness in this chapter, and language, but honestly, that shouldn't surprise you by now. But more importantly there is a lot between Freddie and Claire that will come to define them as the story continues...so look for that in there!**

**Awww, and I am letting this out on Mother's Day here is the US, which sort of makes sense, as Freddie is probably the biggest Momma's Boy ever. : ). So Happy Mother's Day to all you Momma's out there! Love you!**

**Oh, and I am letting this out totally rough because I am exhausted and going to bed, and I promised a dear, dear, butterfly that I would post!**

**OH, and thank you all SO, SO , SO much for the reviews! They mean a ton since I definitely know that this isn't an easy story to find!**

* * *

It was like waking from the strangest dream he'd ever had. Freddie hadn't slept that soundly in a very long time, and even though he had the feeling that he wasn't out for_ that_ long, he felt strangely calm. He blinked a few times before he realized just where he was, what had happened, and more importantly what he was touching.

A wide smile stretched across his face as he looked down to realize that he was still buried balls deep in the sweet beautiful thing in his arms, and he still had two palms full of her luscious soft ass. This is something that a man _should _wake up to everyday. He'd certainly be in a better mood after coming like that on a regular basis for starters.

Freddie could actually feel the stirrings of lust again in his body, but it was different this time. He was an animal when that fuckin' piece of shit touched her. It was a statement that nobody touched what was his, this was his part of town now...and people would recognize that. He'd shattered that cunt's jaw, and he'd bloodied him like he deserved, and he knew when she got out of that cab and saw him on her steps- she was scared.

But she didn't cower.

She'd been with him in every moment, hell, she had the balls to challenge him when she was on her back laying belly up. She might look like a pretty princess, but god_damn_, she could take cock like the filthiest slag he'd ever been with. He remembered her sitting in that posh restaurant yesterday all prim and proper, and then having her legs wrapped around his neck tonight while he fucked her into the kitchen table so hard it threatened to break.

She was a lady out in public and a whore behind closed doors- just for him. It really was like Christmas had come early. He thought back to the first thing that he'd said to Jimmy when he set eyes on her- she _was_ wife material.

She stirred a little in his arms, her pretty mouth huffing a small breath of air before her lashes fluttered and then her blue eyes opened to stare at him. He could see her feel the same sense of confusion that he'd just had to rationalize before she bit her lip nervously and gave him a tentative smile.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep," She said quietly.

He smiled at her, "Don't apologize babe, you fucked me right into a coma."

Claire flushed at his words, and the fact that she was finally becoming aware of her body, and just where and what was happening to her. She was lying on her rather dingy linoleum floor, still dressed in everything but her bottoms, while Freddie was still buried deep in her body- his hands gripping her ass with a tight handful.

He was still completely dressed his face and his neck, and most of the front of his coat was still spattered in blood from the bar fight he'd been in. Her face went even redder when she realized that she could still feel the cool press of his brass knuckles against her skin- they'd had sex and he hadn't taken them off.

It was proof of that dangerous side of him that had scared the shit out of her when she got out of the cab last night- but it was also the same side that made him take control and made her come so hard she practically passed out after it was done. Claire shifted close to him as she felt herself grow wet again around his steadily hardening cock that began to stretch her inner walls.

"Don't think we're sleeping tonight, Princess." Freddie said as he rocked his hips into her. "Gonna have to get that beauty sleep later, 'cause I'm gonna ride you 'til dawn."

She moaned and stretched as he rocked his hips back slightly before thrusting deep inside her again. "Mmm, how about a nice warm bath, Freddie? I'll clean you up and give you a nice back rub."

His eyebrow rose at the suggestion, "You're asking me to pass up a fuck for a bath, babe?"

Claire shook her head and rolled her eyes, "No, I'm asking you to take a soak with me so I can wash you, and treat you like the King you are, and I'll sit on your lap and fuck _you_ while you lay back and relax. How does that sound?"

He seemed to pause for a moment, almost like she had said something complicated that he didn't understand. "I ain't one to lay back and take it." He finally said, "I'm the one who fucks not the other way around."

She was hesitant to talk for a moment as she saw flashes of that same dark animal dancing behind his eyes, it was still riled from earlier and she didn't want to provoke it. Instead she smiled softly and leaned up to gently kiss his plump lips, wanting to soothe him, because she suddenly got the impression that he wasn't someone who had enjoyed being pampered very much in his life. "You can have me however you want me, Freddie, but please let me take care of you first. Please, baby? You have to be sore."

His grey eyes darted back and forth for a second, staring at her like he was searching for something, before his hands relaxed on her backside and she was able to gently slide off of him and sit up. Her body was stiff from the stress of earlier, and the hard floor that she had been resting on for the past, God knows how long. She finally stood up on shaking feet, her high-heeled boots definitely a hindrance at this point, as she turned to extend Freddie a hand that he ignored as he was already rising to his feet.

"Love the outfit," He said cheekily as he stared at her in only thigh-high boots, a fishnet shirt and a black bra.

Claire only laughed as she looked back at him fully dressed, with only his belt, button and zipper undone. But his boxers were already tented out covering his growing need, and she couldn't wait to get him stripped down. She turned back around and sauntered playfully across the small kitchen to the even smaller bathroom, working her hips and wiggling her ass to encourage him to follow.

* * *

For once in the two months that she'd been here, Claire was actually excited about the old claw foot tub. It was going to be plenty big enough for the both of them, and she seductively leaned over the side as she turned on the tap, making sure to bend at the waist and give him a good view as she tested the water temperature.

"Do you like it hot?" She purred, playfully looking over her shoulder with a wink.

Freddie stalked into the small room, his eyes riveted to her ass as he licked his lips, "Yeah, I like to get nice and pink."

She smiled as she plugged the drain and grabbed one of the two towels that she had on the shelf and laid one on the floor to step on while the other went to the toilet seat to dry off later. She took out one of the few washcloths she had and left that on the lip of the tub as she turned around to stare back at him, stripping off first her shirt, then her boots, and lastly she unhooked her bra. She made a show of sliding off each strap, and then letting it fall to the ground as her breasts popped free.

She smiled coyly at the look on his face, before turning to the small mirror to wash the heavy makeup from her face and lastly twisting her mane of red hair into a huge bun on the top of her head that she secured with a strong elastic. When she was done, she slowly spun around to face him. "How about I help you get undressed."

For the first time in a long time, Freddie actually had nothing to say. No smart ass comment about his cock, and nothing witty at all about where he wanted to stick it. All he could do was just stare at her. Now he'd seen plenty of tits, ass and pussy in his life, and he'd even had his share of good ones- but nothing, nothing at all had _ever _looked like the sweet thing in front of him.

She was perfect. That satiny, creamy white skin was flawless over every inch of her- and he just knew, from every part that he'd touched already, that it all felt so smooth. Her breasts were full and high, round and topped with two rosy nipples that looked like they tasted like candy.

He finally snapped out of it when he felt her gently slide his coat off his shoulders, dropping it to the floor as he reached back to pull off the collared shirt and undershirt he was wearing with one pull as she went for his pants. They fell to the ground with a clink, and he toed off his shoes and socks as he stepped out of them, leaving him in nothing but his boxers, that looked ridiculous as his dick pitched a circus sized tent in them.

But she didn't say anything. Instead her delicate hands came up to the flat wall of his chest, staring at the hodge-podge of tattoos that he'd collected over the last twelve years or so. Her blue eyes darted back and forth, and she stroked the laughing and crying theatre masks with a small smile before gently letting her hand trace his arm down to his fist where his brass knuckles were still wound around his fingers. She slipped them off and rested them on the sink with a very metallic _'clink'_, before she finally pulled at the waistband of his boxers.

Her eyes went wide at the sight of him, fully aroused, and even though his ego swelled to match, he felt strange. For a millisecond he actually felt like a snot-nosed teenager worried about what some bird was gonna think about him. But all that was chased away the minute she bit her lip and stared up at his face.

Freddie could see it all dancing in that look, she hadn't lied to him when she whimpered like a bitch in heat while he fucked her...she _was_ completely his now. He could do whatever he wanted to her and she'd keep coming back to him. He could turn her into the filthiest little slag in the East End if he wanted...but he didn't. Because there was another nagging truth that accompanied the realization. Her pussy belonged to him...but he was pretty sure that she'd gone ahead and ruined his cock with that tight little thing. There was no way anything else on the planet felt as good as her.

Claire finally turned away and turned off the tap, gingerly stepping into the steaming hot water and smiling shyly at him, "Come on."

He followed her watching as she sat against the rim of the tub and opened her legs wide, inviting him to sit between them. For a second he wasn't sure he liked this, but when he settled down and leaned his back against her soft breasts and her long legs came up to wrap around his waist to tangle with his- he couldn't stop the sigh that puffed out of his mouth.

* * *

Not long after he finally relaxed, Freddie was in a state of bliss that he didn't think was attainable without cocaine or a good orgasm. Claire was diligently working a soap slicked cloth on his arms, shoulders, back and neck, before she rinsed it and gently cleansed the dried blood from the fight from the side of his face.

And when she was done with that, she started to knead the skin of his shoulders and his back with her hands, easing away knots that had been there for months. It felt so good he couldn't stop himself from actually groaning out loud like a pathetic little wanker. He couldn't remember a time in his life when anyone had taken the time to touch him like this. The closest thing he could compare it to - and it was a fuckin' stretch - was his Mum taking care of him when he was sick as a boy.

She worked at a particularly tight place right at the curve of his shoulder and he actually laughed at the release of tension. Claire leaned down to kiss the warm, damp skin as she smiled at his outburst, "Am I hurting you?"

Freddie took a deep breath and closed his eyes, leaning back against her more. "Nah, Princess, fuckin' feel better than anything."

"You deserve it," She said quietly. "Thank you for..." She paused for a second before she finished her thought, "Hurting that asshole."

He chuckled darkly as his hands stroked her legs on either side of him, "I told you, babe, no one touches you but me, now. He got just what he needed for touchin' my things. Won't be doin' it again."

Claire smiled as she rubbed his shoulders, "No that is true. One less paying customer in that shit hole."

Freddie smirked, "Well, you ain't workin' there for much longer anyhow, don't you worry."

"Oh yeah?" She said with an incline to her eyebrow, "And how am I paying my bills?"

He looked over his shoulder as he reached back to cup the back of her neck in his hand, pulling her head close, his lips brushing hers, "I'll be takin' care of you from now on, Princess. You'll have whatever you want all the time, gonna get you the best of everything."

"Is that right?" She said, knowing full well that she was now a mistress no different than her father's favorite had been. But somehow, that thought pissed her off. She wasn't going to play second fiddle to anyone- including his fucking wife. She kissed him slowly, letting her mouth open to give him access to everything.

Claire could feel the lust and eagerness in his kiss and he growled lowly when she pulled away from him, it made her brave and direct with her words. "Are you going to share my bed every night, Freddie? Or am I going to be lonely?"

He stared at her for a minute, his eyes dancing back and forth between hers before he grinned widely, "Awh, babe, you afraid I'm gonna find somethin' else pretty as you?"

Claire paused and her brow rose a little, so they were actually going to have this conversation? She was hesitant at first, knowing firsthand the sort of temper that he had, but at the same time, she remembered the arrogance of being her father's daughter- she wasn't afraid of anything, not anymore.

She finally shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't know Freddie, seems to me that you aren't the type to warm the same bed for more than a night or so. How's a girl supposed to feel about that? How do I know you'll take care of me like you promise if I'm just one stop on your way?"

He frowned for a second before the hand that was resting on the back of her head tightened up in her hair, almost making her wince at the pressure. "You tellin' me what to do, _Princess_?" His voice was hard, the usual endearment now sounded like an insult, and she knew she was provoking him. Freddie was an alpha male, pure and simple. He didn't take well to questioning, and he definitely didn't take well to following commands.

But she knew all about men like this, instead of backpedaling, or yelling like so many other women would do, she went for the strike at the one place that would slip right under his control. She blinked her eyes slowly and looked up at him, the perfect amount of dewy tears filling her eyes when she finally spoke softly, "I'm sorry I said that, I just don't want to share you. I want you all to myself."

His demeanor changed instantly, and the lazy smile that stretched across his face was just further proof of it. "Is that right?"

She nodded coyly, "I know I can keep you happy, baby, I'll let you do anything you want to me, whenever you want it. You won't have to go looking for anyone else to take care of you."

"_Anything_ I want?" He asked with a challenging tone. "I'm a growing boy; I and I have a very healthy appetite, Princess; you sure about that?"

"I said, _anything_, Freddie, and I meant it," She replied as she whispered against his lips. "You only come to my bed from now on, and my body is your playground. I'll never say no to whatever you do."

He chuckled darkly as his entire body, relaxed from the warm water and her hands began to buzz with that electric sense of arousal and high that he felt constantly when he was around her. "We'll see what you say when I have you bent over in front of me and my cock in your arse. You still gonna say I can do what I want?"

A shiver that wasn't completely fear raced through her, and she was embarrassed to say that she could actually feel herself getting wet, the moisture somehow warmer that the water that they were soaking in. She'd never let Seamus do anything like that to her- he'd tried – but _she_ was always in charge with him. It wasn't going to be that way with Freddie. So for the second time that night, she deferred as a female to the alpha that she was with.

"No one has ever taken me like that," Claire said quietly, her eyes not missing the way that his now fully hard erection actually twitched at her confession. "But if that makes you happy, you can have me like that."

Freddie stared at her, his shrewd gaze looking for any sign that she was lying to him, but amazingly he found none. "Yeah, you mean that, don't you, Princess?" The statement was seemingly made more to himself than it was to her, but he finally smiled, "Sure, babe, you got me all to yourself – I promise. After all, a King deserves to come home to a Queen at the end of a hard day and get waited on."

She smiled at his words, "Mmmhm, you won't be sorry, Freddie. I'll prove it to you." She shifted her frame around him, sloshing the water and taking him by surprise as she knelt in front. He sat straight up at the disturbance and she gently pushed him back until he was resting against the lip of the tub. He opened his mouth to say something and she softly placed her fingers against his lips, "Just lay back, baby. How long's it been since a woman was good to you and really gave you what you needed? Just think of this as more of the same massage I was just doing."

His brow rose at her gall for the third time that night, but he did what she wanted, resting his arms on the lip of the tub and leaning back. "Suppose we'll see just what…"

He trailed off into a groan as she reached under the water to begin stroking his hardened flesh with her hands, expertly swirling and tugging him as she stared at the tall, thick span of flesh. He was hung, and the only thing that she could think as he mouth began to water as if it was hungry, was what this had done to her tonight. She'd had sex before, obviously, but she'd never felt it like that- and she wanted more.

She wanted to make this man forget everything before her, when she was done with him, he'd never even remember that he'd fucked another woman.

Claire rose up on her knees, resting her weight on his thighs, spread as wide as he could in the confined space, and holding up his straining cock as she rubbed it the length of her wet slit before letting him breach and swallowing him whole with one push.

They both arched up at the feeling, and Claire smiled as Freddie let out another of those uncontrolled noises of pleasure, his jaw actually twitching almost involuntarily as he settled back down. She leaned forward, placing one hand flat on his chest over his heart, her fingers tangling with the two gold chains that hung around his neck, while the other rested on the lip of the tub to give her leverage as she began to rock her hips in a smooth ride.

She stared at his face and committed it all to memory, his eyes, hooded with want and lust as he teethed his full lip at her ever increasing and elaborate moves, first rocking him back and forth, then in figure 8's and finally a slow, circular rhythm that ground her swelling clit against his pelvis.

"Damn, babe," He said with a laugh, "Where'd a pretty, rich Princess like you learn to fuck like this, huh?"

Claire smiled and whispered with a husky breath against his lips, "Not with men, don't worry. My Daddy liked to keep me under lock and key, so I spent a lot of time all alone in my room with nothing but a few toys and a lot of imagination."

Freddie's eyes widened at her admission, "Yeah, I knew it, posh princess out and about, and a dirty little slut in the bedroom aren't you?"

Her hips sped up, rolling against him faster and harder than before, "And I've never found a man I wanted to take control of me until you walked into that bar." She arched her back and rode him hard as her entire body began to coil and tighten, "I saw you, the way you walk, and I just knew..."

Freddie stared at her, mesmerized by her words and the way she moved; she even sounded like the perfect woman to sit at his side. She would always have his back, just like Jimmy, and when he ruled it all soon, she'd be right there for him.

"What'd you know, babe, huh?" He teased as he fought the urge to squeeze the mouth-watering, bouncing tits that were right in front of his face.

Claire's eyes rolled back as a particularly hard rub of her distended and sensitive pearl against his body sent a jolt of pleasure to further tighten her internal muscles and push her closer to the edge. "I knew you'd fuck me like I deserved, like I've been waiting for."

"That's right," He said as he watched her writhing grow more and more frantic, the water around them now splashing, "With how tight you are, I can tell you've been waitin' a good, long time for a real man haven't you, Princess?"

"Yes!" She said, her body rushing fast towards her end, Claire closed her eyes and arched her back further as she felt her orgasm imminent. She was so lost in the sensations that she was taking from his body with hers that she didn't see him or feel him moving until it was too late.

Suddenly her world shifted as Freddie sat up and grabbed her ass tightly, mashing their bodies together and stilling her movements, leaving her climax in suspension and making her cry out in frustration. She tried to balance before he roughly grunted, "Hold on to me, now."

Claire complied at the tone of his voice and wrapped her arms around his neck and her long legs around his waist as he managed to struggle to his feet and negotiate the high lip of the tub. He stepped on the towel on the floor, trying his feet before he walked through her small apartment to her bedroom, before kneeling on the bed and dropping her weight into the pillows.

He didn't even wait until her body was on the bed to start pumping his hips hard. Freddie gripped her hip tight, hauling her closer to him as he began to fuck her in earnest, growling at the feeling of her fist-tight velvet walls.

He'd had just about enough of her being in the driver's seat, even though it had been the longest that he'd let a woman take the illusion of control in the moment, but now, it was time that she remembered just who she was sharing a bed with. He wasn't the kind of man who "lost" himself in sex, he was the kinds of man that declared himself.

His cock was as hard and smooth as marble as it pistoned in and out of her tight body, and it didn't take more that a moment or two before all the tension that she had built up from the tub came back. Claire cried in rhythm with his powerful thrusts as everything tightened to the point of no return.

Freddie could feel it, _fuck_, he could barely control himself, she was so damn snug, "Come, babe," He grunted firmly, "Fuckin' come hard and give me a nice squeeze."

She was digging her fingernails into his shoulders, and her legs were wrapped around his waist, and suddenly Claire wailed out as it hit her. Her climax racing through her body, like an electric shock centered between her legs that radiated out to her limbs, curling her toes and making her nails bite into his back.

It was a feeling of triumphant power that made him drunk and high on adrenaline and hormones, he felt like she was in his blood, racing like a drug and consuming him by the second. He easily flipped her trembling body over and brought her up on her hands and knees as his hands went to her hair to pull out the messy bun and let out all that red hair that he'd been seeing over and over behind his eyes for the past two days.

He wasted no time rising up behind her and thrusting himself deep inside with one brutal snap of his hips. Freddie's hand clamped down on her hip as he swore loudly at the feeling of it. He let his free palm trace up her back, the hills of her spine feeling like beaded pearls under the satin of her snow white skin until he grabbed the mane of thick hair with his fist.

He tugged back hard enough to pull back her neck, and all of a sudden he grinned in his lust-induced haze to see the shaking of her bones fade away as she arched into him, beginning to move her hips in a roll against his cock, getting hers just like she had in the tub.

"Yeah, you like that don't you, Princess?" Freddie said biting his lip as he just let her move for a minute and watched the best live-action porno he'd ever seen. "Got you good and addicted to that, didn't I?"

Claire was so far gone in mindless ecstasy and lust she couldn't control herself. She heard his words, and she agreed with every one of them. She felt like he was already curled up underneath her skin, as if he was becoming something symbiotic. Something that she would never be able to live without. She was corrupted, and she loved it.

"Mmm, I love it," She said as she moved against him, "It_ belongs_ deep in me, doesn't it, baby? Perfect fit."

Her comment gave him a little pause, because she was right, he'd been fucking women for_ years_, and nothing had ever felt like this. She hugged him like a tailored glove, and there was something inside him that both inflamed his temper and stoked his lust at the same time- she was right, he wouldn't fuck another pussy but this one. The lack of control made him pull almost all the way out of her and slam back in hard enough to make her sob out, he was furious for the fact that this little bitch could do that to _him_...but at the same time he remembered her promise.

He'd be riding her like she never knew possible. She was _his _now, no one touched her but him, she found nothing pleasurable unless it came from him...he came out of the cloud of his raging mind to see himself fucking her like a rapid fire gun, in and out at a blistering pace that had to cause her just as much pain as it did pleasure, but amazingly she was arching up and bowing her shoulders to take more, even as the grip in her hair kept her head bent back.

"Oh, GOD," She sobbed loudly, the agony and ecstasy plain in her voice, "You are the King, baby, you take what's yours, make me come!"

"How does it feel, huh?" Freddie huffed as his jaw clenched as wave after wave of heat scorched his body, all centering in his balls. He had to get her there fast, 'cause he was about ready to explode.

"You feel so good...I..._oh_...I'm gonna..._YESSSSS!_" She screamed out as her whole body shook and he felt wetness actually leaking out onto him from deep inside her just before her inner walls clamped down on him with a seizing pressure that effectively trapped him where he was and milked him with a relentless pull.

There was nothing he could do to stop it- he came hard enough to throw his head back and roar out his end before he felt everything drain out of his body into the perfection before him in a long, pulsing shot. He felt his knees give out, and just like he had earlier in the kitchen, he could barely think as he pulled out of her and literally collapsed beside her with a flop, bouncing the mattress and causing her equally boneless form to fall into him.

Freddie smiled lazily, and momentarily at least, completely sated as she sighed and wrapped her slender legs around one of his thighs pillowing her head on his shoulder, snuggling close. He kissed her forehead as he absently stroked her hair with his fingers, feeling hers playing with the gold charm that looked like a pair of brass knuckles hanging around his neck.

He laughed as he felt her grinning against his skin, "What's that smile about, Princess?"

Claire laughed quietly, "I want a cigarette, but I don't want to make the effort to go get it."

Freddie chuckled, "Well after the fucking you just took, I think I can make the trip for you."

He got out of bed and walked back to the bathroom, coming back a few seconds later with his pack of cigarettes and a little plastic baggie filled with white powder. Claire watched as he went to drop the bag on her bedside table and froze when he saw her stained lace panties still resting there, and the heavy, gold ring.

Freddie smiled a mile wide as he took out a cigarette and lit it, taking a huge drag as he reached down to retrieve his missing jewelry. "Now how'd this get here babe, and what happened to your knickers?"

She rolled over and rested her head on her hand as she stared at him and raised her eyebrow, "I'm pretty sure you are well aware of how_ that_ happened, Freddie."

He slid back in bed with a smile as she reached under the table to grab an ashtray, putting it on the table as he handed her the cigarette. He pulled her back into the same position they were in before he answered. "Come on Princess, you can't blame a bloke, here I come climbin' up to your window like Romeo and you're playin' at Sleeping Beauty instead."

She laughed as she put the lit cigarette up to his mouth and let him take it into his mouth with a practiced ease. She bit her lip as she played with the charm on his necklace, "Well, I'm sorry about being asleep, but I think it was for the best."

"You think so?"

"Yeah," She said as she yawned and looked up at him, her voice suddenly full of satisfaction and sleep, "It made you come to the bar tonight."

Freddie leaned over to put out the cigarette as he thought about her answer, and the way her soft, sweet little body was wrapped around his. He could feel her relaxing in his arms, and then the moment that she finally drifted off. He yawned himself and ran his fingers through her hair again before he kissed her forehead.

"Enjoy that nap, my pretty Princess, it's gonna be a long night."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Well, I am glad to say that a long weekend meant an update of both of my stories! Yay!**

**This one finds Freddie and Claire doing...well, what you think they would be doing ; ). It's probably pretty NSFW, so read with that in mind. But there is a lot that actually happens between the lines here, so wade through the smut and Freddie's impressive vocabulary and keep that in mind.**

**Letting this out a little rough as always because I promised a little butterfly that I would post! : ) And to Miss Wynter...a little something in here just for you ; )  
**

**Please, please read and review! It makes me smile!**

* * *

Claire's eyes opened slowly, blinking lazily as she came back into her mind to realize that it was still dark outside, her bathroom light was still on, and Freddie Jackson was snoring pleasantly beside her. She smiled when she felt how close he was holding her, his hands curling covetously around her body and keeping her tight to the solid form of his muscular chest.

His body was throwing off an insane amount of heat, and she marveled at the way that they were sleeping on top of the blankets and she wasn't remotely chilled. Of course it only took another second for her to realize that even though she was relaxed, the still damp flesh that was between her legs was pulsing with an aching tenderness that she'd never felt before.

Because, truthfully, if what had happened between her and Freddie was what sex could be- she'd lost her virginity on the kitchen table. He was the most potent, powerful thing that she had ever felt in her life, and she wasn't embarrassed to say that she was unashamedly addicted to everything about him.

She smiled in the darkness as she looked up at his face, the normally turbulent emotions that swirled behind his eyes were hidden, and a relaxed, almost boyish quality lit up his face. His lush lips were slightly parted as he huffed out deep, rhythmic breaths- he was completely calm.

Claire leaned her face down to kiss the warm skin right over his heart, her fingers restlessly stroking through the little bit of light brown hair that covered the top of his chest, before following the trail down his stomach across his abdominals. Her lips quirked up in amusement when she reached down further to card her fingers through the bit of trimmed, coarse hair around his sex, feeling it twitch and slowly rise to life.

Freddie grunted a little in his sleep, but he didn't move, and Claire gently shifted her weight just a little to wriggle out of the tight embrace that he had her in. He stirred again, but didn't wake as she lifted up her head to stare down at him. She smiled wickedly as she reached down to take his now fully erect manhood into her hand with a soft tug, caressing the entire length of him.

Despite the soreness between her legs she was already hot and wanted him again. She leaned down to kiss the length of his stomach in feather light kisses, crawling beside him as she rose up onto her knees. She gathered the long curtain of her red hair over her shoulder as she wet her lips with her tongue, salivating when she stared down at the thick span of flesh in front of her face.

This wasn't something that she'd done very often. Taking a man into her mouth was something she felt was beneath her, it made her no different than the whores that she'd seen around her father and his cronies. But with Freddie, she wanted to please him in every way- she hadn't been lying when she said that to him. So it was with a little hesitation that she took the warm staff into her hand. She took one last look up at his sleeping face before she leaned in and daintily licked the tip of his cock.

No matter what the feeling was that she expected to get from it, genuine hunger was one thing that she didn't expect. Because what was generally something that she saw as being submissive spoke to her in the most primal way when she tasted the tangy remnants of herself all over him. This utterly masculine and almost feral male had been marked by _her_.

It was a sense of unreal possession that came over her as she licked her lips again and took him deep into her mouth, her hand twisting and moving as she relaxed and began to pull up and down with her mouth. Her cheeks sucked in with an instinctive pressure as she bobbed her neck, feeling him grow even harder from what she was doing.

It was a minute or so later when suddenly she felt his entire body start with shock, and his grey eyes snapped open to see her in the dim light working on him. Claire didn't stop what she was doing as she let her big, doe eyes flit up to meet his with a coy bat of her lashes. Her lips sucking particularly hard at the sensitive head, working out a bit of the salty liquid that was beginning to ooze from the tip.

Freddie groaned as he licked his own lips, his eyes fighting the haze of sleep that was quickly fading, "What you doin' to me my pretty Princess, huh?"

She moaned around him, the vibrations rushing through his body as he reached down to twine his fingers into her long hair in a tight fist. He started to guide her into a faster rhythm, loving the way her mouth and her tongue felt like hot silk against his hardness.

Once again the delicate posh little thing surprised him, here she was sucking on him as eagerly as any filthy slag whore, and he loved it. Waking him up to have a mouthful of cock after what he'd already done to her tonight- maybe she would be the woman to finally satisfy him like he needed. Someone who finally had an appetite to match his.

He felt himself draw up tight as she slowed for a second, her movements becoming deeper, until finally she opened her mouth wide and let him slip in as far as she could and when he felt the back of her throat he nearly rose off the bed. "Fuckin' hell," he barked out as he gently pulled her up off of him, "Mmm, that's enough of that, babe, I ain't ready to come yet."

Freddie sat up and reached out for her, taking her flushed lips in a hard kiss, his tongue plunging in to taste her mouth and the salty tang that was a little of his seed. He quickly backed her up onto the bed, crawling between her thighs as he instinctively rutted up against her core, finding her soaking wet and hot.

He groaned at the feeling, pulling away from her lips to stare at her in the dark, "You liked that didn't you, you like suckin' on me?"

Claire leaned in to take his full lips in a slow kiss, her tongue swiping out to touch the lush pillows gently, "We taste delicious together, baby."

He smiled as he pushed her back onto the bed, staring at the perfection of her milky white skin, salivating as he leaned his head down to take one of her rosy nipples in a hearty suckle. He'd fucked her twice already, but he hadn't taken the time to really enjoy her. Hell, he never took the time to really enjoy anything, but she was definitely something that deserved being savored.

Freddie closed his eyes as he nuzzled her breasts, and then lower to her belly, her skin so soft that it shamed anything that he had ever touched. Silk and satin had nothing on her, and the more he tasted, the more his blood hummed and heated, his head buzzing- she was better than any drug he'd ever taken. Better than whiskey, better than fucking cocaine.

And suddenly, he had to have more, he had to get a good mouthful of that sweetness he'd sampled just a taste of.

He moved down between her legs and watched as she rose up on her elbows to stare down at him. "Lie back, Princess, 'cause I'm gonna eat my fill of you. Make sure you let me hear those pretty sounds."

Claire nodded and closed her eyes as she leaned back, her entire body sensitive to the feel of his hot breath and scorching skin as he touched her thighs with slow strokes. It had been so long since anyone had done this to her, and like anything else, it had been fumbling attempts in the back of a car, nothing at all like this already felt.

His lush lips, that had always kissed hard and ravenous were strangely soft as he touched them to first one thigh, and then the other. She whimpered softly when she felt the damp of his tongue swiping across her skin, and then the warmth of his breath fanning against her soaked and swollen flesh. She couldn't bear to look, but she couldn't wait for another moment, "Freddie," she whispered, "please, baby."

He was too far gone to even hear her words. Instead all he could focus on was the pink, glistening skin in front of his face. He took a deep breath, savoring the musky sweetness and then leaned in to take the petal soft folds into his mouth with a needy suckle.

She tasted like sweetness and sin, and he truly was drunk off of it. He couldn't get enough, and he greedily licked everything he could find. He traced the delicate folds of skin before lapping the flat of his tongue the entire length of her slit, to concentrate on the little bundle of her clit that was swelling up at his attention. He sucked hard on the hooded nub and he smiled as she arched her back and keened out in a wail of pleasure.

Freddie smiled against her, loving every second of control. He hadn't eaten pussy since he was a fuckin' teenager, and goddamn it if he wouldn't be doing this to her whenever he could. He moved again to bury his tongue deep inside her, letting it slither in to find the swelling sweet spot that was covered with her juices, feeling it pulse in time to his licks.

She tasted so sweet, and he was so greedy for more of it that he pressed against her harder, loving the way her honey smeared all over his face, and he drank all of it down.

It took him a second before he noticed the hint saltiness in her flavor- and that made him actually growl like an animal. He was tasting himself inside her. Because he'd bathed her insides with his semen...he'd marked her forever as his...it was this ultimate covetous feeling that made him relentless.

He didn't let up until he felt her shaking, her screams becoming hoarse as she cried out her pleasure, and finally she pulsed against his mouth, a flood of wetness came out to meet his hungry lips as she came apart beneath him.

Freddie gave her one last lick, smiling as she jerked and whimpered through her aftershocks. His entire body raging with lust as he crawled up her body. She was staring at him with those same wide eyes, as if he was the center of her universe, the most fucking powerful thing that she'd ever seen.

He smiled slyly as he leaned over her face, "Look at me, Princess, I'm covered in you- and I fuckin' love it." He worked his mouth for a second, gathering up a bit of saliva on his tongue before he stared at her, "We do taste fuckin' delicious together, why don't you have another little bit."

Claire stared at him, almost confused for a moment, before she slowly opened her mouth and he leaned down to let his tongue slide out, letting the warmth slide off and onto hers. He watched her swallow it eagerly, her beautiful face never leaving his. Freddie groaned at the display, instantly taking her lips with his in a deep kiss as his lower body immediately moved to slip inside her- his cock screaming at him.

He pushed into her tight, wet heat, surprising himself when he heard her whimper and he stopped. He'd never been particularly interested in anything other than getting his when he fucked, but with the pretty little thing beneath him, he wanted to do right by her.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She stared up at him as he began to thrust shallow with his hips, pulling out and letting just the first few inches of his length slip in. "I'm a little sore," she admitted quietly, "can you be gentle?"

Freddie nodded as he slowly slid all the way back into her before pulling out and repeating the torturous pace, "I can be nice and gentle, babe, give that sweet pussy time to get used to me."

She wanted to thank him, but Claire couldn't speak as he began to roll his hips in a slow, precise rhythm, bringing her already stimulated clit back to life as he ground against it. The whole time she looked up at him, seeing his eyes as the first few slivers of dawn began to leak into her windows. She could see that raging animal still in there, but instead of seeming dangerous and out of control, it seemed to be soothed.

As if the alpha wolf was in her bed and she was giving it a luxurious and slow pet.

But it wasn't very long before the gentle pace that Freddie had relentlessly set was becoming maddening to her. Any lingering soreness in her body had disappeared, leaving nothing but want and need to be taken in its place. She shifted beneath him, wrapping her long legs around his waist and grabbing the dangling gold chains with her fingers as she pulled him down to her face.

"I need more, Freddie, I know you need it too, go as hard as you want," her voice was husky and deep with her lust and he growled lowly at her request, "I'm yours, baby, take me like you want."

He complied instantly, snapping his hips instantly into a blistering pace, hitting her hard and fast, making her arch against his chest as her nails dug into his back. Claire could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks as the pain and pleasure assaulted her with brutal force, building to an intensity that had her detonate into the sort of all encompassing climax that had her brain shorting out.

All she saw was a blinding flash of white light in the darkness before she checked out- coming back to Earth only at the sound of Freddie's hoarse roar as he flooded her again with everything he had. He collapsed against her, panting and trembling, his muscular form throwing off more of that scorching heat as he held her close, not moving or withdrawing from her tightly clenched femininity.

Claire shivered from sensory overload as she gently scratched the head that was pillowed in the crook of her neck, calming him even further. She could feel his racing heart actually pounding in his chest as it slowly began to slow and relax to fall into beat with hers. He nuzzled into her body and sighed deeply, and she smiled at the feeling of him absolutely boneless against her.

There wasn't an ounce of tension in his entire body, and she knew without a doubt that this feeling of quiet content was something that he probably never experienced in his life. It was something that gave her an insane amount of possessive pride to know that she was the one who could do this to him.

She listened quietly for a few more minutes before she heard him snoring again, she kissed the side of his face before she let the utter satisfaction and exhaustion take her eyes and close them in sleep.

* * *

A loud crash woke Claire out of a sound sleep, she scrambled for a second trying to figure out just where she was and what was going on- but it all came back to her in a jumbled rush.

It was the morning...Sunday morning...and she was alone in bed after spending the most primal and sex-filled night if her life with Freddie Jackson. A string of grumbled curses filled her small flat, and she smiled at the thought that he might not be in her bed, but he wasn't far.

She got up slowly, her body a combination of rejuvenated and aching and she reached for the pair of white cotton men's underwear and the small, thin red t-shirt that she normally wore to bed, slipping them on and tying her hair up into a huge, messy bun before she walked out into her tiny kitchen to see Freddie putting an old cast iron pan onto the stove.

She smiled, watching him in nothing but his boxers with a cigarette perched in his lips as he stared at the small pile of bags on the counter next to him. He took a long drag and puffed out an impressive smoke cloud as he turned to look at her, "Morning, Princess, what's goin' on with your fuckin' cupboards? They're as bare as that sweet arse was for me last night."

Claire laughed and blushed a little at his question, feeling strangely lacking as a woman for the first time in her life. She should have been able to offer him something. "I haven't had the money to buy a lot of food since I've been here," she explained quietly, "and I was going to go shopping the other day, but_ someone_ took me to Harrods on a gorgeous trip and I got sidetracked. Plus, I am a pretty sad excuse for a cook, I can only manage a few things, mostly stews, it was what I had the time to learn."

Her voice trailed off at the memory of the sweet Russian lady who had worked as their cook and maid for twelve years, that was until her mother found out that her father was nailing her in their bed and kicked her out of the house. She was actually disgusted at the fact that she'd spent more time with Ana than she had with her own mother.

Freddie smirked as he turned on the stove and snubbed his cigarette in the sink before tossing it in the trash can, "Ain't used to a gourmet meal at home anyways, babe, don't worry." He turned to reach into the bag next to him, pulling out something that looked like bacon and sausage before he tossed a ton of butter into the frying pan and dumped in the meat.

The absurdness of the moment was not lost on her. Here was a East End tough guy gangster who had busted someone's face last night like it was nothing who had obviously gotten up, gone out and bought groceries, and was now going to make her breakfast.

"You cook?" She asked with barely disguised look of surprise in her face.

He turned to look at her, pointing his finger and frowning, though she could tell it was playful by the look in his eyes, "Don't go thinkin' this is gonna be a thing, Princess, I figured after the night you had you deserved at least a little something from me other than cock to wake up to."

She laughed as she walked to the sink, washing her hands before she grabbed two of the mismatched plates that had been left behind and two pathetic looking forks to set the small kitchenette table. She paused for a second before she reached for a paper towel, rinsing it off before washing the table top before putting it down.

There definitely needed to be a little cleaning thanks to the last thing that they shared on that particular table.

Claire smiled sweetly as she sat down, "So where did you learn to make breakfast?"

Freddie shook his head as he buttered up the bread to fry it right up in the pan with everything else. "My Mum," he said before he scoffed, "not that my fuckin' Dad liked it. Worried I wasn't a fuckin' man 'cause I spent time with her, maybe if he did I wouldn't have to."

She watched him as he angrily cracked the eggs into another small pan, "Off fuckin' chasin' pussy all over town and bringin' it home in front of her. It ain't done like that, not to a good woman."

Claire listened to him ranting and wondered just how much of his own advice he heeded, since she was no different than those other women- or did he put her in the category of women that deserved better? He obviously didn't put his wife in that category.

He turned to look at her with a serious expression on his face that answered her question, "She's just like you, Princess. Me and you are gonna rule all this, I promised you the best of everything and I fuckin' mean it. Gonna get you a nice place, make you happy."

She smiled thoughtfully, "Thank you, baby. But I don't want to just be a pretty thing you keep at home, I want to be there for you. My mother was fucking useless, a stupid woman who took my father's money and did nothing. She didn't learn anything, and in the end, when Daddy was gone, she just left me all alone with _nothing_."

Claire didn't even realize that she was crying until Freddie was staring at her with a strange look on his face, "Your Dad didn't work a proper nine to five did he?"

She laughed as she wiped her eyes, "He'd have told you he did. But no, my Daddy was the head of the Mullen Gang in South Boston, he just about ran everything in that part of the city- guns, drugs, you name it. He answered to Whitey Bulger and that was about it. Of course, he had plenty of people that wanted him gone. I still don't know who it was that turned Whitey against him. But the next thing I know my Friday night ends up with my father on his knees splattering my mother's favorite white suede couch with his brains from a gunshot to the back of the head."

Her hands were fidgety and she reached for her purse on the counter to light up a cigarette and take a long drag to calm herself back down. "My fucking mother didn't know a thing, not his bank accounts, where he kept his money, how to get anything. So I took the ten grand in cash that I knew he kept in the floor upstairs and I took off. I don't even know what she's doing right now." She smiled brightly and fake as can be, "And that is where you meet me three months later working the bar at a revolting club in London with a shitty flat and barely two pennies to rub together."

Freddie didn't reply right away as he grabbed her plate from the table, filling it, before doing the same to his own and sitting down across from her. "Somethin' like that shouldn't happen to somethin' like you, babe."

Claire shrugged as she stood up to put out her cigarette and sit down to her full plate. It was probably the best looking meal that she'd had in a good long time- as completely slathered in butter and grease as it was. There was a fried egg with the yolk perfectly cooked and runny, some sausage and bacon of some sort and a huge hunk of bread that had been toasted in the grease of everything else.

"This looks really good," she said quietly. "Thank you, Freddie."

He shrugged as he shoveled in a mouthful, "Piss poor fry-up, store didn't have beans or tomatoes. What fuckin' store don't have canned beans in fuckin' London?"

She smiled as she nibbled onto the well cooked bacon, savoring the delicious bite of actual food that she really had missed for the past few months, "Well I am not a fan of beans or tomatoes, so that is fine by me."

"Nah, babe, that ain't right, if it's supposed to have that, you eat it that way. Unless you are talkin' fuckin' mushrooms, then you can just keep that right away."

"You don't like mushrooms?"

He made a disgusted face, "Always taste like dirt, why am I eatin' dirt?"

Claire giggled and had to cover her mouth at the seriousness in his expression. She coughed when he narrowed his eyes, a touch of irritation snaking into the grey pools, and she didn't want to rile that animal that had gone so far out of its comfort zone to do something like this for her. She suspected his wife hadn't ever been on the receiving end of him making breakfast, or if she ever had, those days were long over.

"I'm just playing with you," she said quietly.

Freddie sniffled and rubbed his nose, "Just don't fuckin' laugh at me, Princess. I ain't someone to laugh at."

Claire's face dropped as she watched him clench his hand hard on the fork that he was holding before he stabbed some food on his plate and brought it to his mouth, talking through the bite, "I ain't a fuckin' joke."

She could hear the anger and the self-loathing in his voice, and it actually broke her heart. Because as fucked up as both of her parents had been, they both treated her like she was made of gold. But she knew that while his mother had given him some sort of attention- he definitely hadn't had anything positive from his father.

She stood up and slowly walked to the other side of the table, coming up to stand beside him, wordlessly shimmying out of the underwear she was wearing before she hesitantly reached out to touch his shoulder, pushing him back in the chair so she could swing her long legs across his lap to straddle him.

With a very tender, slow movement, she cupped his face, bringing it to meet hers as she caressed his cheeks with her thumbs in slow, deliberate strokes; watching as the darkness in his eyes started to ebb for a moment. "I'd never make you feel like that, baby," she said in a hushed voice. "I've been around you already for three days, and I can't stop thinking about you. You're my king."

She leaned in to take his lips, savory from the little shine of butter that was still on them, he seemed to be strangely quiet, letting her take some illusion of the lead, her eyes fluttered open from the kiss to see that he was watching her very intently, as if he was trying to see if she was lying to him.

Finally, she knew the one thing that would let him know just how much she needed him. She could already feel how hard he was beneath her, and it took nothing at all for her to stand up just a little and pull down his shorts just enough to free his length. Before he could stand himself, she quickly grabbed him and rubbed against the slick that was already coating her sex and breached her body with one hard push.

Freddie groaned out as she whimpered at the same feeling. He was so big like this, stretching her walls and bottoming out against her cervix with an insistent pressure. But the sensation somehow tapped into that same primal mind that she had pretty much existed in since she let this man into her life, and it made her start to instantly roll her hips, rocking into a hard ride that had his large hands tightly grasping her ass in firm handfuls.

She moaned out as he somehow managed to take control from where he was beneath her, one of his hands coming up to free her hair, the thick curtain tumbling down as he wrapped his fist in it to bring her face to his. He kissed her with the same ravenous hunger that she had already come to crave, his tongue, teeth and lips claiming her mouth.

"Freddie," she whimpered out against his mouth as her entire body tingled from the strong, surging thrusts he was doing with his hips as he pulled her up and down with his hands. "You are going to make me come."

His eyes were focused on hers, still hungry, and focused, but returning to that soothed ferocity that she'd seen the last time he fucked her. "Fuckin', yes, you are Princess, I can feel you like a vise, go on and ride me dry, babe."

The lusty words that fell from his lips was all she needed to finish the climb, her toes curling against the linoleum floor as her body released in a hard crash, wetness leaking out onto his lap as her inner walls clenched and released on the steel hard staff in an almost frantic beat.

Claire gasped as she felt him speed up his hips, hitting her off the hard and fast way that she knew he liked to finish, and it wasn't a moment later that he drove upwards as his hand slammed her hips down to meet his just as his end came over him and he swore loudly, the warm jets of his orgasm surging up into her.

She was panting as she stared into his face, finally calm again. He nuzzled against her neck, and she was awash in a sense of cherished possession that she had missed when she was desperate and scared the past two months. In the arms of this man that she'd been warned about, she felt safe.

Her mind was relaxed, and she breathed in deep, the words coming from her current state of utter satisfaction, "I love you."

Freddie pulled his head away to stare into her blue eyes, knowing that there was nothing in them but truth. She wasn't lying to him. It's part of the reason he'd gotten up this morning and walked down the street in his trousers and his blood spattered shirt to the store to get something to make for breakfast when he found out that her cupboards were as bare as a fuckin' desert and he was starving.

He cooked for her, he'd never done that for anyone other than his Mum and maybe Jimmy once or twice.

And what was more- she thanked him for it. Even when he'd been a fucking wanker with his temper, she'd been the one to apologize. Where Jackie would have laughed in his face, Claire walked over and gave him her undivided attention. She made him feel like the king she called him.

He grinned slowly, "You mean that don't you, Princess."

She smiled, biting her lip coyly and nodding, and Freddie took his cue to abandon breakfast and reach down to hold her onto his body, keeping them connected as he stood up from the chair. She wrapped her lithe legs around his waist as he stumbled a few steps, his boxers falling to his knees.

"Aww, fuckin' hell," he muttered with a grin as he high stepped out of them before leaving them on the floor of the kitchen and marching off to her bedroom.

"Sorry about cuttin' breakfast short babe, but, looks like you'll be gettin' somethin' else to enjoy."

* * *

**Also...don't ask me why, but I have this feeling that Freddie can actually manage a breakfast...and thank you to sarah7170 for all things relating to food in the chapter ; )**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: After the busiest week ever, I totally wanted to update both stories, but this one came to me...and we all know when Freddie starts talkin' you have to humor him. **

**On a side note, I really know nothing about cocaine, definitely not my bag baby, as Austin Powers would say. But I did watch a fascinating program about it on the history channel this week, so the information about it is taken from there. **

**So with that aside, I hope you all enjoy! Letting this out a little rough because I have promised that I will get this out to people...**

**As always, reviews are love and they make me smile! ; )**

* * *

Absolutely decadent, relaxed and lazy, Claire sighed as she stretched her still naked body and yawned. It was the middle of the afternoon and she'd just woken up from her second or third cat nap of the day. Her eyes blinked open to see Freddie staring at her with a sleepy and satisfied grin on his face.

And there was no reason for either one of them to feel anything but boneless satisfaction at the moment.

He'd taken her to bed after interrupting breakfast and proceeded to literally fuck her into the mattress so thoroughly they actually fell off the side at one point; she tried not to laugh, remembering his issue earlier, but it was unfounded. Because Freddie had a look of almost comical surprise on his face after they landed with an ungraceful thud. He looked at her with a crooked grin, absolutely proud of himself.

"Look at that, too much fuckin' for the bed, Princess," he said as his hips instantly picked up their pace again. They both came only moments later, yelling out as the pleasure hit.

She'd actually gotten up not long after that and somewhat re-cooked the food, and as interesting as stove reheated eggs were, they were so hungry from all the exertion they'd done for the past twelve hours, that they both polished off every morsel.

Claire smiled as she leaned in to kiss his lips languidly, her body still completely blissed out and tender from everything he'd given her. "Promise me we can wake up like this every morning?" She said gently.

He laughed lowly and stared at her, his grey eyes still hungry even though his body was too tired to act on it at the moment, "I dunno about that, babe. You might be face down in the pillows some mornings with your pretty little arse in the air."

She arched her eyebrow, "I meant you and me in the same bed."

Freddie grinned cheekily, "Yeah, I guess we can. Then again you might me gettin' up to get my son if he's cryin'."

Claire's eyes went as wide as her smile, "So now I am having your child?"

She could actually see the lust and desire in his face, and despite the incredible exhaustion in her body, she actually felt her lower body hum to life. His eyes searched her face for a long beat before he spoke, his voice husky, "Yeah, Princess, you're havin' my baby. I want you in a posh house, all done up fancy with a big, round belly full. I wanna come home and fuck you every night 'til I'm spent."

She bit her lip as she leaned in to kiss him slowly, her eyes closing as her mind began to wander. The logical side that wasn't easily swept up into a fairy tale, demanded to know how exactly he was going to do all that when he had a wife and by then three other kids. Was he going to leave it all behind and marry her? Was she expected to become a mother to his and that other woman's children? Was he going to even leave her at all...or was she going to be a well taken care of whore with a bastard child.

But she turned the voice off when she felt him stroking the side of her cheek and his tongue sliding deep into her mouth with a happy groan. She kissed him back, reaching down to find his cock half hard and slowly rising. She was aching from the constant and insatiable attention, and there was no way she could take more of him without taking a nice warm bath to soothe herself- but she couldn't stop touching him.

"You want more?" Freddie rasped against her lips with a smile as his body finally was unable to completely come back, "I think I'm gonna have to disappoint you babe, you fucked me good and empty for now."

Claire laughed softly, "I'm good, I just want to feel you. I love touching you."

His eyes flashed with intensity at her words and he stared hard at her, "Tell me again."

The words confused her for a second until her mouth seemed to know exactly what he was saying, as if instinctually her body and soul knew what would soothe his. "I love you, Freddie," she said as she looked into his eyes, not one second of hesitation in her voice.

It was strange, she could see the animal inside him, that prowling wild wolf as it circled and lay down with a contented sigh, like a dog taking a nap, and leaving an almost tender look in his normally turbulent eyes. He reached up to run his fingers gently through her hair, caressing her face. "Somethin' perfect like you don't belong here," he said as he kept touching her. "You really are a Princess, babe. You deserve anything you want. You make me want to give you the fuckin' world."

She leaned into his soothing touch, "I might not belong here, but I belong with you. I want to be by your side all the time."

Freddie kissed her, his plump mouth pulling at hers, "That right? How 'bout tonight? You up for bein' on my arm while I do some business?"

Claire beamed with excitement, "Of course I would!"

Freddie grinned back as he stood up, sliding off the bed and stretching his arms over his head, his completely nude body on full display as he arched his back and the bones cracked back into alignment. "Yeah, I gotta do a little somethin' with Jimmy tonight."

Claire stood up and looked at the clock by her bed, it was already five, "What sort of thing?"

He turned to look at her with a smirk on his face, "Ozzy's sister's supposed to show us some blow from a new supplier, apparently it's the best ever seen around here."

"Oh," she answered.

Freddie sauntered into the kitchen to grab his boxers, and then dressed in his still blood spattered clothes. "I'm gonna call Jimmy so I can freshen up and get all put together for you. Be back here for eight."

Claire nodded as she ran her fingers through her hair, "Okay."

He walked over to her and took her into his arms with a crooked smile, threading his fingers through her hair so he could pull her head back with a firm but still playful tug. His lips were hot on her neck, licking just a bit as his teeth nipped the sensitive column of pale skin. "How 'bout you wear somethin' so fuckin' sexy I can't walk, yeah?"

"I think I can find something special," she gasped as his large hand squeezed her breast, rolling her nipple through his fingers with a little tug.

Freddie grinned slyly, "I_ know_ you can. See you in a bit, my pretty princess."

* * *

Freddie walked down the street to the pay phone to call for Jimmy. He laughed to himself as he realized that he was practically bouncing like a fucking kangaroo with each step. He didn't need to even examine the whys. He was absolutely calm and satisfied in a way that he had never felt in his life.

He'd fucked that beautiful thing until his cock couldn't even get hard...and she was still content to wind her soft body all around his. Because she wasn't just hanging on him for a filthy shag, or for money...she told him that she loved him.

And unlike _any _woman that had said that to him before, including fucking Jackie- she actually meant it.

He kept thinking back to the way she'd responded to his nasty temper, instantly soothing him, using her sweet voice and her beautiful body to calm him down and bring him back from the edge.

She was everything he ever wanted, and he couldn't wait to have her hanging on his arm tonight. He picked up the phone with a smile and dialed his cousin's place, it was answered after a ring or two, "Afternoon, Jimmy-boy, time to bring the car around."

* * *

Claire soaked in her tub for a good hour after Freddie left. The tender skin between her legs was slowly soothed by the warm water, and she breathed in deep as she slowly and meticulously shaved her legs, making sure that she was absolutely flawless. Despite the fact that she was a little sore from the past night, her mind was clearer than it had been since before her father was killed.

She felt safe with Freddie. She smiled to herself as she remembered the way that her father had always talked about his close partnership with Whitey Bulger.

It's better to be the right hand of the devil than in his way.

And she wasn't Freddie's right hand she was going to be his other half. She was going to be the woman that he'd obviously been missing all his very sad and lonely life. She was going to be there to support him and care for him, she was going to give him everything he needed.

After sitting in the tub until she was pruned and totally relaxed, Claire washed and dried her long hair, and walked into her room to stare at her small closet that was loaded with everything that she had managed to take with her from her tons of clothes at home. She wasn't sure just what to wear, but she wanted to be both drop dead sexy with just a little bit of class.

A slow smile curled her face as she found a bright bit of white cashmere, it was actually a sweater, but she had always worn it as an incredibly short mini-dress. She paired it with white a lace button up shirt to wear underneath with an ornate collar and sleeves that added a bit of fancy accent to the plain sweater. She paired it with the red stilettos that Freddie had bought her the other day.

She made sure to wear a cute, lacy white thong underneath it all with a matching bra, and as she stood in front of the small mirror hanging on the back of her bedroom door, she had to admit- she looked damn good. The bright white of the fabric only seemed to further bring out the pale color of her creamy skin, and as she made sure to do her makeup with just enough emphasis to bring out her eyes and highlight her lips without being too much...she knew that Freddie was going to absolutely love it.

* * *

Claire was just about to light up a cigarette when she heard a knock at her door. She smiled as she practically ran across the apartment to open the door, remembering at the last minute that she should at least try to be somewhat sexy. She opened it as she leaned against the door jamb, letting her arm come up to rest on it as she lengthened her body.

She took one look at him, in a decent grey suit and a black shirt, his ever present and pointless aviators on his face, before she smiled seductively. "You miss me, baby?"

Freddie's jaw chomped on a bit of gum as he slid off his glasses and let his eyes hungrily map every inch of her body. "Fuckin' look at you," he said as he stepped closer to lean against her, "How am I supposed to get anything done when all I wanna do is bend you over that table and make you scream my name? Hmm?"

Claire laughed sweetly as she leaned in to whisper against his lips, "How about I let you to that when we come home tonight?"

He grinned slowly, "Yeah that sounds good, you can leave those shoes on too, wanna see those over my shoulders."

She rolled her eyes playfully as she grabbed her purse and locked the door, "How about you show me a good time before I do that, maybe buy me a drink."

Freddie instantly wrapped his arm around her waist and rested his hand against her ass as he guided her down the stairs, "You gonna take me up on it this time? I already offered you a drink and you turned me down flat, babe, made me all hurt and the like."

"I was trying to be coy," she insisted as he nuzzled against her. "I wanted to make you work for it."

"You made me work alright, Princess," he laughed as he opened the door to Jimmy's car, and pushed the passenger's seat forward gesturing for her to get into the back.

It took a bit of negotiating to keep from flashing her crotch, but Claire managed to slide in, smiling at Jimmy who was in the driver's seat wearing a little suit as well. "Hey, Jimmy," she said with a smile.

"Hi ya, Claire," he answered with a quick smile as Freddie suddenly slid into the backseat with her, shutting the door and snuggling close to her.

She giggled as he gathered her into his arms, pulling her legs up and over his, the warmth of his body instantly calming her as his hand went to her exposed thigh, stroking the smooth skin with a gentle touch. "What are you doing back here with me?"

"You think I can stay away from you, babe?" Freddie reached up to cup her face, reaching up to kiss her with an almost reenergized hunger. Any of the exhaustion from earlier was long gone, and his lush lips parted and his tongue slid into her mouth, claiming hers with an almost unnatural intensity. She felt his hand slowly creeping up underneath her dress, and for a second she was self-conscious, looking over at Jimmy who was staring out the windshield.

"Don't worry, about him," he said as he smiled, his hand finally moving all the way between her legs to touch her hot center. "It's just me and you in this world, Princess. No one else."

Claire's eyes went wide and she moaned softly as his thick fingers slid beneath the damp bit of lace fabric that covered her to stroke through her slick wetness. Freddie watched her intently as she shifted in his lap to turn towards his body and open up her legs. His mouth fell open in a surprised smile as he wiggled his middle finger into her warmth, letting his thumb rub against her clit with a slow grind.

She could already feel her body trembling and tightening up as she reached for his face, kissing him hotly as her hips began to rock against his hand in a slow roll. Freddie smiled against her mouth as she moved against him, "You go and get yours, babe, come all over me."

She had to bite down on the inside of her lip to keep quiet as she finally came, her climax rolling through her like a euphoric wave as she stared right into his eyes. She watched the want in his gaze start to burn like a fire out of control as he huffed out a breath, his jaw ticking slightly as he rocked his hand against her for another minute before he pulled his hand out and brought it up between them, marveling at the shine of her juices that covered it.

He looked at it for a moment before he brought it to his full lips, sucking the digit clean with a low growl. "Sweet as fuckin' candy, babe."

Claire leaned in to take his mouth, loving the subtle taste of herself on his tongue, "I love the way you touch me, Freddie." She snuggled against his neck as he held her close. Her body was back in a sense of almost complete relaxation as she stared out the windows at the dark city that streaked past them, his arms cradling her like a treasured possession.

* * *

A little while later, they pulled up to the front of a shady looking night club. Claire carefully climbed out of the car and stared at the dingy brick building covered in neon lights called "Dexy's" and advertising "exotic girls from all over the world". The first thing that came to her mind was the thought that this place somehow made Foxx Tails look like an upscale establishment. But any disgust faded away as Freddie pulled her close and walked past security and into the front door.

Claire's nose scrunched as she walked into the place and the revolting smell of stale cigarette smoke and whiskey invaded her senses. Her eyes did a quick scan around the place to see a small bar, a stage and various dark booths, and the women that were in various degrees of nudity that walked around looked as bad as Holly and the girls that worked downstairs.

And somehow, the patrons that were in the place were even more repulsive than the men she'd been waiting on the past few nights. Shivers went up her spine when she realized that all of their drunken, beady eyes were focused on her. Here she was in a practically glowing white outfit in a disgusting dark dungeon of a place.

She was nervous, until she noticed the way that those men averted their eyes, and then she realized why. She was Freddie's woman. It was that realization that made her straighten her shoulders and roll her hips as she walked. She stood next to him, and she was going to be at his side...she needed to act like it. She was her father's daughter, and it was time that she remembered that.

Freddie took them up to a small second floor alcove that overlooked the stage, and may possibly have been a VIP area if the place hadn't been so completely horrendous. Claire looked at the round booth to see a weasely looking man with ruddy skin and beady brown eyes and a cheap suit sitting next to a decently attractive older blonde woman with blue eyes, sharply dressed in Chanel with a fur coat neatly tucked behind her.

"Well," Freddie huffed, "how are we all tonight, hm?"

The man sneered and pointed at two oversized chairs in front of the table, "You and your cousin can stay, your pussy can go wait downstairs."

Jimmy sat down and Freddie sighed, "Siddy, first off, a hello is customary. Next off, this ain't pussy it's Claire, and she goes where I go, so I'd appreciate it if you had some fuckin' manners and talked to her like a lady."

He sat down in the chair, and smiled up at her, "Why don't you go ahead and sit on my lap, Princess, keep me nice and warm while Siddy and Patricia talk to us."

Claire smiled at him and bit her lip, choosing to perch on the arm of the chair and lean against the back of it, keeping her long legs crossed and on full display as her breasts were close to his head. She relaxed like a cat, curling around its owner as she stared at the people at the table that were looking at her with a sense of audacity.

"So," Freddie grinned cheekily, "Where's this blow that's gonna keep me hard for a week?"

Siddy tossed a small bag on the table and Freddie reached out for it as Patricia cleared her throat, "It's a new supplier getting his goods from somewhere in the Caribbean straight from Colombia, that is the best stuff London has ever seen. Ozzy wants us to triple our profits, and this is the way that we are going to do it."

He opened the bag, dipping his finger in putting it against his gums before nodding after a second, his smile widening, "Yeah that's fuckin' prime right there."

Claire made a face out of reflex, and it wasn't missed. Despite her proper looks she'd been around cocaine since she was a little girl. She spent countless hours trying to get even a moment of her father's attention, and that had often meant being with him while he did similar things like this- testing products for purity.

In fact, two years ago her family had spent three months living in Miami as he furthered Whitey's connections to Colombian cartels to bring the best coke in the world up to Boston. He planned on using the profits to funnel it into the arms trading that he had started with the IRA.

She'd smelled the best stuff, primo un-cut Colombian cocaine from Pablo Escobar himself, and it had a unique smell that she could never get out of her nose. It stunk like chemicals, and the best way to describe it was like you walked into a dentist's office, most of it was so bad you could smell it right through the bag.

But this was practically odorless.

Freddie noticed her face and quirked his brow, "You want some, babe? Somethin' wrong."

Claire looked up to see Siddy and Patricia staring sharply at her. For a second she was nervous, but once again she remembered herself, she leaned over him and shrugged her shoulders, "I mean, if you say it's good I believe you, baby, but it's not straight from Colombia."

A scoffing snort came from the table, and Claire looked up to see the woman narrowing her blue eyes at her, "I don't think your opinion is warranted here, sweetie, so why don't you keep on being decoration and let business be done by people who know what is going on."

It was completely her father's Irish temper that was channeled through her at that moment. Her eyebrow rose up as she smiled with a saccharine sweetness, "Oh, I can be decoration for Freddie, because I know whatever little 'business' you are doing isn't worth paying much attention to. And for your information, if_ that's_ Colombian cocaine it's ninety percent shit."

Patricia was staring daggers at her now, "How the fuck would you know? Doing a little of Daddy's coke before flashing your cunt around doesn't make you an expert."

"I know, because I've spent a summer in Miami with my _Daddy_, and I've been around the purest Medellin cocaine, and that shit smells like acetone so bad your eyes water, and this," she gestured with a haughty tilt of her chin, "might be the best you can get in London, but compared to Boston and New York, it's nothing but baking soda. If you want to tie in to a decent ring, I suggest you get in with the Irish in Boston or the Italians in New York, otherwise you can try to sell this knockoff and be disappointed. You might shift it around the strung out East End rats you have around here, but you aren't selling this where the money is."

Claire looked down at Freddie to see him beaming up at her with a smile, before tossing the bag back on the table with a shrug of his shoulders, "You heard her, you think it'll go that's fine, but it ain't triplin' money. Don't think Ozzy'd be too fuckin' happy with it either when there is better out there. Jimmy's talkin' to him tomorrow, so we'll talk after that I guess."

She loved the way he leaned into her, and she smiled as the blonde woman openly frowned at the two of them, specifically when Freddie's hand came up to caress her leg from her crossed knee to her thigh. A sense of jealousy flared up in her at the thought that something had happened between them...or she wanted it to happen. Well, that was just too fucking bad, because this was her man and little Miss Chanel could look elsewhere.

Claire leaned over and sighed dramatically as she reached down between his legs to grab him through his pants, stroking his cock with an eager grip as she smiled coyly, "Baby, I'm thirsty, let's go get a drink."

Freddie chuckled as he licked her mouth and kissed her ravenously before he pulled away to look at the two at the table, "I'm gonna tend to this pretty thing, I'll let you know what Ozzy says next time we see him."

He stood up and pulled her out of the chair, his arm coming down her hip and pulling her close as he turned to walk down the stairs with Jimmy right behind. They walked down to the small bar and he ordered her a fruity cocktail as he got himself a whiskey. He drank it in one long mouthful as he turned to look at his cousin, "What you think about all that?"

Jimmy shrugged as he nursed his pint of beer, "Claire had a point there, and to be honest, I don't think Ozzy's gonna be too happy about this. He's always sayin' we need to look at a big picture, and sellin' that stuff ain't what he's talkin' about. There's gotta be something better than that."

She sipped at the sugary and brutally strong drink, as she turned to look at the cousins, Freddie pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a long drag, "You got a point, Jimmy-boy. You got a point."

Jimmy smiled at the praise and looked over at Claire, "Did you really spend time in Miami?"

"Of course I did, the shopping was incredible, although I spent half the time with a sunburn on my ass, I could have done without that," she answered as Jimmy laughed at her.

Freddie however stared at her with that animal intensity as he drained his second shot before slamming the glass back down on the bar top as he extinguished his cigarette right next to it, "Hold tight for a second, we'll be right back."

Claire squeaked as he spun her around and practically pulled her through the crowded place to the back and a small hallway that looked like it led up to an office very similar to Sharon's. She was a little disoriented from her high heels and the huge dose of vodka that was humming through her blood, and when he roughly pushed her up against the wall and attacked her lips savagely she was helpless against him.

She moaned as his hands went up her dress to cup her bare ass in his palms and haul her off the ground, "Oh, Freddie, oh my God."

"I'm gonna, ride you raw tonight, and we're gonna start right here, now go ahead and get my cock out, babe," he growled as she obeyed and unzipped his pants with shaking hands, finding him beneath his boxers already hard as a rock. She barely had a chance to move her panties out of the way before he slammed home in one brutal thrust.

The stretch was a combination of pain and delicious pleasure and she cried out as he began to pump his hips in the hard, fast buck that they both liked. She was soaking wet, and she could hear it as it coated him, making his moves audible in the small hallway. Her eyes were rolling back in her head, and her body was completely awash in mind-numbing pleasure when she caught a movement behind them.

She opened her eyes to see Patricia staring at them for a moment, a look of hatred on her sharp features, it was that same ego driven sense of power that she'd inherited from her father, that had her moaning much louder. She licked her lips and breathed out in a breathless voice full of lust, "Oh, Freddie, you are my king...tell me how it feels..."

"How you feel?" Freddie grunted with a smile in his voice, "You feel like you got a golden pussy, Princess, best I ever had."

A look of triumph lit her eyes as the woman stood rooted to the spot watching them, "Tell me it's only me and you, baby, tell me..."

"Yeah, it's only me and you, we're gonna rule all this, just me and you..."

When Patricia finally tuned and stormed off in disgust, Claire felt her orgasm racing into her with absolute force, everything below her waist clenching tight, and then releasing with a wave of sensation that had her inner walls pulsing and throbbing against his steel-hard cock, milking him with such force that he finished only seconds later, barking out a loud curse as he flooded her with hot jets of seed.

Freddie's knees shook for a moment, before he set Claire back down on her feet, kissing her deeply as he ran his fingers through her long red hair, over and over again. "Goddamn, babe, you drain me dry every time," he sighed as she nuzzled back against him.

"Let's get takeout and eat it in bed, I want to spend the rest of the night naked with you." Claire said as she smiled lazily.

"Yeah, not gonna hear an argument from me, Princess, let's get you home and on your back. Maybe you can get me in the tub again."

They walked out of the darkened hallway to meet Jimmy who was still at the bar finishing his drink. With no more than a quick flip of a twenty pound note on the bar the three of them sauntered out of Dexy's and back to Jimmy's car.

Claire snuggled into Freddie as they both sat in the back of Jimmy's car heading back to her place, he kissed her forehead before he playfully bit on the soft flesh with a nip. "Why don't you tell me one more time," he said against her face quietly. "Make a man feel like a king."

She reached down to grab his hand as she kissed his fingers one by one, her lips caressing his knuckles as she looked into his eyes, finding that same wolf still content and relaxing under her touch, "I love you, Freddie."


End file.
